Living for the Moment: Book 3
by silvermoony77
Summary: A mass murderer is walking the streets once again. He wants revenge and justice, he wants freedom and power, he wants Harry Potter and Alexandria Ratcliff. And he will stop at nothing until he finds them...Full summary inside!
1. Prologue

_Summary: A mass murderer is walking the streets once again. He wants revenge and justice, he wants freedom and power, he wants Harry Potter and Alexandria Ratcliff. And he will stop at nothing until he finds them…_

_Alex is in her third year of Hogwarts and, having survived being petrified the year before, just wants a smooth year for a change. However, when the news of Sirius Black's escape becomes public, it is obvious that Alex and her friends are in for another crazy, mystery-filled year. For reasons unbeknownst to Alex, Sirius Black wants her and Harry Potter dead. And when a man from her mother's past is thrown into the mix, mysteries unravel and nothing will ever be the same again. Join Alexandria Ratcliff, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger as they face monsters, arguments, and the secret that no one expected._

_Disclaimer: I only own Alex and the stuff you don't recognize. Sorry to disappoint!_

_Warnings: This story is AU, more so than the first two. If you don't like AU, don't read. Simple really. Rated K+ for minor language. This will be the last book with this rating, the others will be T. I will post a note in the beginning of the chapter whenever there is language so you're prepared._

Prologue

A little girl cried with glee as she rose high into the air, dropped down, and rose up again.

"Higher, higher Mommy!" she squealed as her mother pushed her on the swing while keeping an eye on the other little girl who was playing on the monkey bars.

"Now sweetheart, it's almost time for dinner. Aren't you hungry? I'm making your guys favorite tonight," the mother said, grabbing the chains and stopping the swing. The girl on the swing spun left to right as she giggled.

"Yay, macaroni and cheese!" the little girl said happily as she hopped off the swing, "Come on Emily!"

"Coming 'Ria!" the other girl said, hopping off the bars and running to her sister and mother. The two sisters held hands as they skipped off a little ahead of their mother, who watched them closely with a loving smile.

"Did you see me, Maria? I made it all the way across and back again!" the younger sister said hopefully.

"Of course I did, Emsy! You were amazing!" the older said, hugging her sister tightly.

"You were going so high, it was as if you were flying," Emily said in a whispery voice full of awe.

Maria was about to speak when she heard whimpering. She stopped and gripped her sister's hand tightly. The sound was coming from over by the trees.

"Stay here," said Maria and began walking, but her sister held her back.

"Don't go 'Ria! There m-might be a m-monster in there," said Emily, shaking with fear.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Maria said with a reassuring smile before she took a step forward.

"Maria! What are you doing?" their mother said, walking over.

"There's something in the forest, Mommy!" Emily whispered with fright, "It's whimpering."

"I think it's hurt," added Maria. Their mother stepped into the trees and squinted before gasping and backing away, pushing her children along.

"Come along sweeties, we should be going home."

"What was it Mommy?"

"Was it a monster? I told you it was, I knew it!"

"It was a very sick doggie and we shouldn't disturb it, all right?" their mother said gently and her children nodded in compliance.

Mother and daughters continued their walk back to the house so they didn't see the dog they were just discussing emerge from the woods. It was a very dirty, very skinny, very large black mutt. It stumbled over its four paws as it attempted to stay upright. The dog shivered, even though it was a warm summer's day, and raised its head to the blue sky. Its storm-cloud grey eyes were misty and unfocused as it continued its laborious journey. It didn't know where it was going, so long as it continued moving. Finally, unable to take another step, the dog collapsed behind a dumpster and knew it could not move an inch more. Curling up into a ball, the dog waited for Death to lower its cold hands upon it and take it away, wherever the dog deserved to go.

_Author's Note: Welcome to Book 3! I have to say, this is my favorite in the series so far. I haven't finished Book 7 yet so I can't say anything about that, but I really love this book and hope you all do too. I'll be posting Chapter 1 with this as well so go on and enjoy! :D_


	2. Chapter 1 The Stray

_Author's Note: Still own nothing but Alex and the plot points you don't recognize…_

Chapter 1 The Stray

_She was standing in a dark room. The only light was coming from the open window as the full moon shone through. A woman sat in a rocking chair with a sleeping baby in her arms, her face half in shadow. With a heavy sigh, the woman rose to her feet, careful not to wake the sleeping child. Alex watched as the woman went to the window and looked out, her face becoming sadder, grimmer. The door opposite the woman opened and a figure shrouded in darkness entered._

_ "Al, what are you doing up this late?" he said groggily, "Did the baby wake you?"_

_ "I heard her writhing around as she slept," the woman answered quietly, nodding at the now calm baby, "She was having a nightmare I suppose. I think she's all right now."_

_ The woman went to the crib and placed the child inside, placing a light pink blanket over it and returning to her place beside the window while hugging herself tightly. The man sensed her unease and approached her, still in the shadows._

_ "Full moon tonight," she whispered shakily, "Poor Liz, she must be worried sick. They're trying the wolfsbane potion tonight, she wrote and told me yesterday. I hope it works…"_

_ "Alana, we need to talk," the man said, his voice heavy with sorrow, "This is the last time we'll be able to do this, you know that. The entire Black family-"_

_ "I don't care if it's the entire bloody British army," spat the woman, eyes blazing, "They're only making conjectures, they don't know anything. Are you going to let them stop you from seeing your family?"_

_ "I don't want anything to happen to you two, you know how much I care for the two of you. Voldemort's supporters are looking for you and Alex, you need to go into hiding like James and Lily. Dumbledore said you can stay with them. Please Al," the man said pleadingly, "If you won't do it for me, do it for Alexandria. You know what Voldemort's men and women are capable of. Do you really want your daughter to have to deal with that kind of torture?"_

_ The fire in her eyes died as she looked over at the crib where her daughter lay sleeping soundly. The woman looked pained as she ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the window. Her eyes became shiny as she bit her lip to keep it from trembling._

_ "What about you?" she whispered, "Come with us. Please, come into hiding with us."_

_ "Al…"_

_ The woman ran to the shadowy man and threw her arms around him, her sobs muffled as she cried into his chest. Alex squinted as she tried to get a look at the man's face…_

_BEEP! BEEP!_

Alex opened her eyes and turned off her alarm clock. Rubbing a hand across her tired face, she threw the covers and sat on the edge of her bed. The woman was her mother so the man must have been her father. Alex wished she could have seen him better. The only way she saw her father was in pictures. She sighed and stretched, getting ready for the day ahead.

…

"Alex! Hurry up, you're going to be late!"

"Coming Uncle Monty!" cried the girl.

She ran out of the bathroom and slid down the stairs. Running into the kitchen, she kissed her guardian good morning and grabbed some toast that was sitting on the table.

"Thanks Uncle Monty, I'm starving!" Alex said as she bit into her toast. As she chewed it, she grimaced. Her adopted uncle was a great guardian, but a terrible cook.

Alex didn't always live with her uncle. For the first five years, Alex lived with her grandparents in America. They were horse trainers in Montana. When they died, Alex was flown to England and started living a normal life with her Uncle Monty…that is, until three years ago.

Alex always knew she was special. She had tan skin and long, thick black hair with stormy grey eyes. She was always told she looked exactly like her mother, except for her eyes. Her father's eyes were blue-grey so everyone said she had gotten her eyes from her father's side of the family.

What made Alex really special was that she was no ordinary girl: she was a witch. For the last two years, she had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was something else too. Alex had a lightning bolt scar on her right arm. For ten years, she thought it was from the car crash that killed her parents. This was not true. Her parents didn't die in a car crash, but were murdered by the cruelest wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort. Alex's scar was all that remained after Voldemort tried to kill her too.

She ate the rest of her toast with much difficulty. Afterwards, she cleaned her plate and grabbed her bag and water.

"Don't forget I'm going to visit Erin after dance, okay?" asked Alex as she hugged her uncle.

"I remember, call me when you're about to leave. I'll start dinner after you do," he said happily.

"Um, Uncle Monty, maybe I should make dinner tonight?" Alex said nervously. Ever since Alex got back after being petrified for a few months, Uncle Monty had started taking more responsibility around the house. Sometimes this was a bad thing, like when he cooked.

"Oh…you didn't like my breakfast?" he asked frowning.

"Yes, of course I did," she said unconvincingly.

Uncle Monty smiled and waved her away good-naturedly. Alex stepped out into the July morning air, took a deep breath, and started walking down the hill. Alex and her uncle lived on a hill, just minutes away from the little village it overlooked. Every summer, Alex took a dance class and, she would only admit after much pestering from her friends, she was the best in the class. Soon, she came to a brick building with a sign that read, "Miss Stacy's Daring Dance Studio". Alex opened the door and entered.

The dance studio consisted of eight rooms, nine if you counted the never used waiting room. Everyone lived so close that they just walked. As Alex put on her hip-hop shoes, one of her friends entered.

"Hey Deryn!" said Alex.

"Hey Alex! Where's Erin? You two always come in together," asked Deryn, a dark skinned girl with a full head of braids.

"She's really sick," explained Alex, "She called me last night and told me she had the flu."

"Ouch. Class won't be the same without her," Deryn said frowning.

"Yeah, it'll be a lot quieter," laughed Alex.

Just then, their teacher, Miss Stacy, told the girls to start stretching in the next room. Alex stood up and shook her hands, a large smile on her face usually reserved for learning a new potion or watching Quidditch.

"Let's get this party started," she said.

…

Alex said good-bye to her friends and set out to Erin's house. It was a twenty minute walk from the dance studio to Erin's house, but Alex didn't mind. It was a beautiful day outside. She decided to take a detour through the park right near Erin's house. As she strolled down the path, stones crunching under her feet, Alex heard a noise. She stopped and listened harder, it sounded like a whimper. Alex followed the noise to a nearby dumpster.

"Hello?" whispered Alex.

The whimpering stopped and was replaced by a low growl.

"Shh, it's okay, I won't hurt you," said Alex, trying to calm down the thing that was behind the dumpster. Usually Alex would have tried to communicate with it in its own language, but she had no idea what the animal was. She hoped her soothing tones would make the animal calm enough to come out.

The growling subsided and Alex heard the sound of something getting up. A large black dog came from behind the dumpster.

Alex gasped and took a step back. The dog was as thin as a rail and had a glazed look in its eyes. It stumbled over to Alex and lay down at her feet.

"Oh, you poor thing! Come on buddy, good thing Erin's dad is a vet." She tried to pick the dog up, but even though it was so skinny, Alex couldn't lift it. "Um…_stay_," she commanded. As though to prove it wasn't going anywhere, the dog curled up in a ball.

Alex sprinted through the park and up to Erin's door. She rang the doorbell and pounded on the door. She stopped only after Erin's dad opened the door.

"Dr. Malloy," Alex said hysterically, "You've got to come right now!"

"Alex, calm down-"

"Please, there's this dog, it's really sick, can't even stand very well. It's in the park."

"All right, all right, let me get my stuff," said Dr. Malloy.

Alex waited outside, pacing. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, Dr. Malloy came back and Alex led him to where the dog was. Dr. Malloy took out a pair of latex gloves and, as an after thought, handed another pair to Alex.

"You'll need them for protection, in case it has some disease," he said.

Alex sat down so the dog could see her and tried to comfort it. After a few minutes, Dr. Malloy looked at Alex sadly.

"We need to get him to my office, fast. He doesn't have much time left, but I might be able to save him. Help me lift him."

Alex obeyed and the two of then carried the whimpering mutt to Dr. Malloy's office, which was only a minute from the park. After they got the dog there and made sure everything was set to go, Alex went to the front desk to call her uncle. After assuring him she was safe, she called Erin to let her know what was happening.

"I'm with you dad, he's taking care of a dog I found at the park," Alex told her friend.

"Is everything okay?" asked Erin. Her voice sounded like she was congested.

"Yeah, but I'm worried about that poor dog. He looks so sick."

"Don't worry Alex, my dad's the best vet around. He'll take good care of him."

…

Alex was dozing in a chair when a nurse told her that the dog was doing great and she could see him. Alex followed the nurse to a room and entered. Lying in a doggie bed on the floor was a much happier black mutt.

_"Hi buddy! How do you feel?"_ asked Alex in a whisper as she lay down next to the dog. The dog looked at her and wagged his tail. _"What's the matter buddy? Can't you understand me?"_ The dog cocked his head to the side and wagged his tail even more. Alex smiled and scratched him behind the ears. The dog closed his eyes with pleasure and Alex laughed. Even if he couldn't talk to her, he could make his emotions known well!

"He's a real character, isn't he?"

Alex looked over and saw Dr. Malloy leaning against the door. Alex nodded and continued scratching the dog's ears. Dr. Malloy sat down in the chair next to her.

"I called all the local shelters and no one's reported a missing large, black dog. Still, I think someone should put up posters, just in case.

"Also, he's much too weak to be taken to a shelter and we don't have enough room here for him, so…I was wondering if you would like to take care of him."

"Are you serious?" asked Alex.

"I can understand if you don't want to, it's a large responsibility. He'll need to be bottle fed for a few weeks and gradually introduced to hard food. However, I talked to you uncle and he said he's fine with it, as long as you are."

"I'd love to take him!" said Alex. She wrapped her arms around the dog's neck. "Hear that boy," she whispered, "You're coming home with me." The dog's tail thumped on the ground and Alex took that as pleasure.

…

Alex came out of the back room to find her guardian signing papers at the front desk. When he saw Alex, he set the pen down and enveloped her in a hug.

"Do you enjoy scaring me half to death?" he said, voice full of relief, "When Dr. Malloy called, I thought you had gone and gotten yourself hurt again."

"I'm sorry Uncle Monty," she said with a smile as he let her go, "Although I think what happened at school is worse than anything that can happen to me here."

"You, Alex Ratcliff, are more of a trouble-maker than your mum," laughed Uncle Monty.

Suddenly, Alex felt fur under her fingers and looked down to see the black mutt by her side. His tail was wagging hard and he was barking happily.

"I think he's happy to be coming with us," her guardian said, "Come on, I filled out all the paper work already. So, what are you going to name him?"

"Not sure yet," said Alex, "I'll think of something though."

When they pulled up the drive way, Uncle Monty told Alex to give the dog a full head-to-toe cleaning, so Alex took the dog upstairs and scrubbed him down. While doing this, she though of names out loud.

"What about…Charles? No, that's too posh for you. What do you think of…Spike?" In response to this, the dog shook himself, spraying water all over the bathroom. "Apparently not," said Alex, wiping water off her face.

After giving him a bath, Alex took a new toothbrush and brushed his teeth. Alex noticed, though, they were more like fangs than teeth.

"Oh Merlin!" said Alex, waving a hand in front of her face as she brushed, "Your breath smells worse than some of Uncle Monty's cologne." Afterwards, Alex clipped his nails and brushed his coat. "My friend, you look ready for a dog show," Alex said, stepping back to admire her work. The dog jumped up and put his paws on her shoulders, panting. "Just don't breathe in their faces," Alex said as she pushed the mutt off her.

She led him to her room and grabbed some extra blankets. As she was arranging them in the corner of her room, the dog jumped on her bed and curled up in a circle.

"Oh, fine! You can sleep on the bed," said Alex laughing.

She pulled out her Astronomy book, some parchment, and sat at the desk by her bed.

"Can you believe I have to copy and label all the constellations and planets in the summer sky?" said Alex angrily, "I mean, who cares about Mars, or Orion, or…THAT'S IT! What do you think of Orion for a name?"

The dog sat up and thumped his tail on the bed, letting out a bark of what Alex took for approval."

"Then I, Alex Ratcliff, dub thee Orion the dog. May you eat well, live long, and not drink from the toilet." Orion did a dog smile and licked her face. Alex grabbed a disposable camera that was lying around her room and wound it up. "I need to get some pictures of you for the fliers and for my friends." She took a few pictures of him and then some with her in them too. Once the roll was done, Alex looked at her watch and ran over to the window.

"I guess this book did come in handy," she said.

…

It was past midnight when she finished. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and crossed out the word "Astronomy".

"Only Defense Against the Dark Arts left. Wonder who the teacher will be this time?" said Alex thoughtfully. She looked over and saw Orion with his head cocked to one side. "Our first teacher, Professor Quirrell, had Voldemort on the back of his head and our other one, Professor Lockhart, lost his memory," Alex explained, "We're not good at keeping Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. Of course you probably don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?

"You see, I go to a school called Hogwarts, it's a school for witches and wizards. That's why I have these books and that trunk full of robes over there." Alex waved a hand over to her closet where her trunk was sitting open.

"But I'm not a normal witch. I don't have any parents, or even grandparents for that matter. My parents were killed by Lord Voldemort when I was a baby. All I have left from that night is this."

She pulled up her sleeve to show Orion the lightning bolt scar on her arm. Orion sniffed it and licked it.

"Thanks buddy," laughed Alex and sighed, "Sometimes I miss them so much, you know? But at least I have my friends, that always makes me feel better."

She went over to her trunk and pulled out a photo album and set it on the bed. She flipped through to a picture of four people.

"That's my best friend, Hermione," she said pointing to a girl with bushy brown hair, "That's Ron," she pointed to a tall boy with bright red hair, "That's me of course and that's Harry," she finished, pointing to a skinny boy with dark hair and green eyes, hidden behind glasses.

"They're all great, Ron's funny but a little insensitive and immature sometimes, Hermione's the smartest witch you'll ever meet, and Harry…he's very nice and funny, even after all he's been through."

Alex stretched and put on her pajamas. As she climbed into bed, she kissed Orion good night and tried to find room for her legs. She was just about to fall asleep when a loud snore woke her up. Alex sat up, looking wildly around, and laughed. She looked at the snoring lump of black fur and lay back down. This was going to be a long night.

_Author's Note: Hello to all my readers! Like I said last chapter, welcome to Book 3! What did you think of this chapter? The prologue? I really want to know what you think of this story since it's my favorite and starts to go more AU than the first two. Also, feel free to make predictions for future chapters. I love seeing what you think will happen. ;)_

_Next chapter brings in two OCs of mine. They're quite fun to write and may make an appearance later in the series, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, that's a taste of next chapter so you have something to look forward to._

_As always, please __please__ take the time to review these last two chapters. I'm eager to see what you all have to say. :D_


	3. Chapter 2 An Unexpected Visit

_Author's Note: Nope, not J.K Rowling. If I was, that would be totally awesome. Yes, I made my daily AVPM reference! :)_

Chapter 2 An Unexpected Visit

August came and after a week of feeding Orion from a bottle, Alex started him on hard food. She was pleased that he was getting stronger and more energetic. Instead of sleeping upstairs on Alex's bed all day, Orion wanted to go outside and run around.

Alex was making breakfast one day when Uncle Monty came downstairs. He had been at work at the Ministry of Magic all night and was dead tired. Her guardian worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They were working on something big that Uncle Monty refused to talk about so Alex had stopped asking why her guardian was working so late. Alex finished the eggs and brought them over to him.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked as she set down his plate in front of him.

"Fine," Uncle Monty said as he stifled a yawn, "I have to go to work again today so I won't be home until late."

"Sure, but try not to be too late tonight," Alex said.

Uncle Monty laughed grimly and started eating his breakfast. Once finished, he put his plate in the sink and went over to the fireplace. He pulled out a drawstring bag from his pocket, took a handful of something, and threw it into the fireplace. The fire began to glow green.

"Floo Powder," Uncle Monty explained, seeing Alex's startled face, "I don't have time to drive all the way to London and I don't want to Apparate, it makes me queasy. I'll see you later tonight!"

Uncle Monty stepped into the fireplace and said loudly, "Ministry of Magic!" Next thing Alex knew, he was gone. Sighing, she finished her breakfast and went upstairs to give Orion his food. After the dog had finished eating, she grabbed a leash and led him out the door.

"You're coming with me today, buddy," she said as they walked to the village, "I don't trust you alone in the house. You might tear the place apart."

Orion stopped and looked at her, an incredulous look on his face. It was as if he was saying, "Who, me? Now why would I do something like that?" Alex laughed and continued on. She stopped in front of a gated wall and looked at the large mansion inside.

"That's where the Malfoy's live," she said in hushed tones to Orion, "Their son, Draco, goes to school with me. Not in my house though," she added quickly, "The whole lot are in Slytherin."

Orion let out a low growl and Alex chuckled. She continued to the dance studio and opened the door. Instantly, a dozen or so girls surrounded Alex and Orion.

"Aw, look at him! He's so sweet!" said a little girl in a tutu.

"What's his name?" asked another.

"Orion," Alex said. She had been worried all this attention would make him nervous, but the dog seemed to enjoy it.

She led him into the room where her class was and snuck in quietly. All the girls were stretching as the music blared. Alex went up to the teacher.

"Sorry I'm late," she yelled over the noise, "Is it okay if I brought my dog along? I can't leave him at home alone and he won't bother us, I promise."

"Well," said Miss Stacy, looking at Alex to the black mutt, "All right, but if he makes a mess on my clean floors, you'll have to clean it up."

Alex smiled and led Orion to the front of the room by a wall of mirrors. She took off his leash and commanded him to stay.

"Alex, nice dog. Is that the one from the park?" asked Erin. She had fully recovered from the flu.

"Yeah, doesn't he look great?" said Alex, smiling proudly at Orion.

"Yes, he does. No one's claimed him yet?"

"No," said Alex happily, "I put posters up everywhere. No one's claimed him."

"Okay everyone!" shouted Miss Stacy, switching the music to their song for their dance, "Let's crash and burn! Five…six…five, six, seven, eight!"

Alex remembered the dance, but stopped to laugh as Orion stood on his hind legs and jumped around, doing his own dance. Soon everyone, including the teacher, was on the ground laughing hysterically. Finally, Alex wiped her eyes and went over to the dog.

"Oh Orion," she said, "You're a hoot, you know that? Hey Miss Stacy! Maybe we should give him a solo!"

"You know…we should! Let's put on a show for the others and let him be the grand finale."

So, after going over the rest of the dance, Alex's class put on a show for anyone who wanted to watch. Once the girls finished their part, they ran off to the sides and Alex led Orion to the center of the room. He stood up on his hind legs and Alex grabbed his front paws. Together, they did a little finale dance and the whole room erupted into applause.

"Nice job fancy feet," whispered Alex, giving Orion a hug.

Class filed out and everyone wanted to say good-bye to the famous dancing hound. As a result, Alex, Erin, and Orion walked back home later than usual. The two girls waved good-bye as they went their separate ways. Alex walked up the driveway and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh no, oh no," she whispered, shaking her head.

In the driveway was a large silver minivan. That could mean only one thing: Alex's great-aunts were making a surprise visit. Alex hated her great-aunts and they hated her too. They were her Uncle Monty's aunts and lived in a suburb near London. Every time they visited, they would always find something wrong with the way Uncle Monty raised her. Lately, they had been saying she was too fat. However, anyone who saw Alex would know that she was skinny and definitely not overweight.

"Come on Orion," said Alex as though she was walking to her death.

Alex took out the key and opened the door. The silence of the house was ruined by the television blaring in the living room. She started to sneak up to her bedroom, hoping they wouldn't hear her, when a voice called.

"Elian, is that you? Come in here this instant!"

Alex sighed. That was her Aunt Victoria's cackle, she'd recognize it anywhere. She pushed the dog up the stairs and told it to stay. Alex turned and entered the living room.

"Uncle Monty's not here yet, it's Alex."

"Alex, it's so good-oh my!" said the other old lady, Aunt Katherine, "Look at her, Victoria! She's getting bigger each time we see her!"

_You're one to talk,_ thought Alex angrily. Aunt Katherine was as large as a walrus and even had the whiskers. "It's good to see you too," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Don't give me that sass," Aunt Katherine said, "You're going on a diet, nothing but celery for you, young lady."

Alex didn't even try to argue. She had learned at a young age to just do whatever they wanted, even if it was strange and unreasonable.

"Where is Elian?" said Aunt Victoria.

"He's at work. He won't be home until later tonight," Alex said.

"And he was going to leave you here all alone? No babysitter?" she said shocked.

"I'll be thirteen in September!" said Alex, "I don't need a babysitter. I can baby-sit for other families for heaven's sake!"

"Watch you tongue!" Aunt Victoria snapped. "Obviously Elian does not know how to raise a child well, letting a ten-year-old stay alone."

"I'll be _thirteen_ in a month! And Uncle Monty is the best guardian I've ever had." Alex felt hot anger inside her and took a few deep breaths. She had to watch her temper otherwise she might turn her great-aunts into toads.

_Although,_ she thought, _That might be an improvement._

"Of course he is," said Aunt Katherine waving a large, chubby hand, "Now, get us something to drink. We're parched."

Alex went into the kitchen, seething with rage. How could they think they could just come into her uncle's house and start giving orders? She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and poured it into two glasses full of ice. Then, she brought them over to the old ladies and set them down on the coasters.

"I'll be upstairs doing my homework," she said and they nodded, not really paying any attention to her. They were looking at a photograph of a man on the television.

"This man, Sirius Black, is a dangerous mass-murderer," the news caster was saying, "He has escaped from an asylum and is armed. Anyone who has information, please call the hotline below. Any piece of information may be vital to the capture of this villain."

"How could they let a man like that escape?" said Aunt Victoria, "He's a mad man!"

"Police today, things just aren't what they used to be," said Aunt Katherine.

Alex shuddered and went upstairs. Now to top it all off, there was a crazy psychopath on the loose!

_Maybe,_ Alex thought grimly, _He'll come here and take out my great-aunts._

She knew that was a terrible thing to think, but she felt they deserved it. Every since she had moved in with her uncle, she always remembered their visits. They would pester Uncle Monty about letting them take her to their home, and they were always talking about her weight and appearance. Living with them would be a death sentence, plus they wouldn't let her go to Hogwarts. They were Muggles and didn't know anything about magic.

Alex went into her room and walked straight over to her black owl, Monty. She grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote two quick letters, one to her uncle and the other to Hermione. The one to her uncle explained that Aunts Victoria and Katherine were at the house, just to give him forewarning. The one to Hermione said that Monty would have to stay with her for a while, since her aunts were deathly afraid of birds. She told her friend to give Monty to her on the train or if sooner they saw each other.

_"I'm sorry Monty,"_ she whispered to her owl, _"My great-aunts would have a fit if they saw you. It'll only be for a little while."_

_"I'll miss you Alex,"_ said Monty sadly.

Alex watched as her friend took off and flew out of sight. She cursed the two hags downstairs that forced her to send her owl away. Alex sat at her desk and pulled out some parchment. Something heavy landed on her leg and she looked to see Orion laying his head in her lap.

"You're going to have to stay up here for a while, I'm sorry boy," she said, scratching him behind the ears, "My great-aunts are visiting and if they were to see you, they would kick you out before you could bark. They hate animals."

Orion seemed to understand and hopped on the bed. Alex turned to her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay and began writing, trying to get her mind off all that just happened.

…...

Hours later, Alex rolled up her just finished essay and put it away. Rubbing her eyes, she leaned back and looked at the clock. It was four in the afternoon. Alex stood up and began pacing. Finally, she decided to start making dinner for when her uncle came home.

She went down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing chicken strips, parmesan cheese, spaghetti sauce from the freezer, and pasta from the pantry. She had just started boiling the water when Aunt Victoria came in.

"What's for dinner?" she asked.

"Chicken parmesan and spaghetti," Alex said as she put the pasta into the boiling water.

Her great-aunt grumbled, but didn't say anything aloud, much to Alex's pleasure. Usually the two of them would make some comment about how the prepared food could clog arteries or raise blood pressure. As she prepared dinner, she could hear the television from the living room. Once again, a newscaster was telling the general public about that madman, Sirius Black. Suddenly, the phone rang and Alex ran to get it.

"Hello?" Alex said.

"Is this Alex?" said a familiar voice, "It's Hermione."

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice," Alex said with relief, "What's up?"

"I just got Monty, but what's going on? I know you'd never send your owl away unless it was important."

"My great-aunts are here for a…_surprise_ visit," she said coolly, "We, ah, don't see things the same way about what I sent to you."

"Oh, all right. I just wanted to know, I was worried when Monty came. I thought something bad happened. Your letter didn't go into much detail," Hermione said.

"Alexandria! Who are you talking to?" Aunt Katherine shouted from the other room.

"No one!" she yelled back and continued in a whisper, "Listen, I got to go, write to me soon." She hung up and went back to cooking. As she put the finishing touches on the chicken, the front door opened. Alex ran to the door and saw her guardian in a suit and tie.

"Uncle Monty, what's up with the suit?" she whispered.

"Your great-aunts think I'm in the banking business," he replied in low tones.

Alex nodded and led her uncle to the kitchen. He sat down with a sigh as Alex set the table. Once finished, she called her great-aunts into the kitchen. After everyone was seated, Alex refilled her great-aunts drinks. As she sat down, she realized her plate was gone. Alex looked up and saw Aunt Victoria dividing Alex's meal between the three adults.

"What are you doing?" Alexis said angrily, "That's my dinner!"

"Do you know how many carbs are in this?" Aunt Katherine said as she shoved a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.

"Here, eat this," Aunt Victoria said and handed Alex a small stick of celery.

Alex bit back a rude retort and she took the celery while concentrating on not sending her glass flying across the room. However, she could still hear the snide comments her great-aunts made at her and her uncle.

"So Elian, you must be having trouble at work," Aunt Katherine said as she ate.

"What makes you say that?" Uncle Monty said coolly.

"Well, you must be leaving Alex home alone often. She is able to make dinner by herself," Aunt Katherine said, her eyes shinning with malice.

"You know Elian, I was just reading in the paper yesterday and there was an article about childcare," Aunt Victoria said, "It said that children who are left at home alone are more likely to do worse in school and go to prison."

"Well then," Uncle Monty said calmly, "You obviously did not know that Alex finished her first year second in her class."

"What about her second year?" Aunt Victoria asked icily.

"Exams were cancelled," Alex said, looking up, "It was to celebrate because over vacation, a lot of kids got deathly ill. Miraculously, everyone got better so we didn't have exams."

"What school is this?" Aunt Katherine asked, "Canceling exams just because a few people had a cold? Schools today, I remember the good old days when if you messed up, _WHACK!_" She smacked the table for emphasis.

"People were dying!" Alex said, outraged even though if that wasn't what really happened. Last year she, along with six others, had been petrified by a basilisk.

The whole table was silent after that. After Alex cleaned up and served coffee and ice cream, Aunt Katherine told Alex to go upstairs and go to bed.

"But it's only seven!" Alex said angrily.

"Go upstairs, now!" Aunt Katherine shouted, "Let the adults talk!"

Alex sighed audibly and turned on her heel. When she got to her room, she lay on her bed and screamed into her pillow, drowning the sound. Once she finished, Alex showered and put on her pajamas. Orion was on her bed, looking at her with worried eyes.

"I'm sorry buddy," Alex said and she went over to pet him, "They're just so annoying. The way they treat Uncle Monty makes me want to cry."

She sighed and opened her window to let the warm summer air in. As she stared out, she could hear voices from below.

"…be reasonable, Elian." came Aunt Katherine's voice. She, Aunt Victoria, and Uncle Monty were sitting on the patio outside, talking.

"No, I won't let you do this," Uncle Monty said angrily. He stood up and began to pace.

"You obviously don't know how to raise a growing girl, and we don't blame you," said Aunt Victoria, "Children today are very confusing, especially for a single man who's raising a girl."

"We just want to help Alex live a normal life. After what happened to her parents, we want her to be happy," said Aunt Katherine as she sipped her tea.

Uncle Monty laughed coldly and said, "No you don't. You don't give a damn what happens to her! All you care about is having someone to show off to when you friends come over. As for a normal life, Alex is very happy here. She has her friends and a good school. Moving her would just make life more complicated and she's moved around enough, from here to America and back again!"

"We're willing to fight you know," Aunt Victoria said so quietly that Alex had to lean closer to hear. Aunt Victoria handed Uncle Monty a piece of paper. "We first wanted to see if we could work things out, negotiate if you will. That paper says that if you willing let us be Alex's legal guardians, there won't be any charges against you."

"However, if you don't," said Aunt Katherine, "We will sue you for child abuse. It will be a long battle Elian, and you can avoid it by just giving us what we want."

"But…I never abused Alex!" Uncle Monty said, his voice wavering.

"Oh, we know that," said Aunt Victoria, smiling her cold smile, "But with the little bit of evidence we have and some bribing, we have a pretty solid case against you. After all, with Alex home all the time cooking and cleaning, most people would consider that abuse."

"You…You wouldn't?" stuttered Uncle Monty, "Can I have some time to think this over, please? It's a very tough decision."

"We leave tomorrow afternoon," said Aunt Katherine, standing up and walking to the driveway, "We are staying at the Lighthouse Inn on the town's main street. If she's not there by two o' clock, we'll file charges. Good night."

Alex silently closed her window and sat on her bed, shocked. Her great-aunts wanted her to live with them, the two people who made the weeks they stayed living hell. And her uncle had to actually consider their offer!

_Well, not me,_ Alex thought angrily as she stood up, _I'm not living with those two hags!_

Alex went to the end of her bed and opened her school trunk. Then, she went to her closet and started grabbing clothes and put them in. Once finished, Alex went to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Putting her hand at the back, she lifted up a secret compartment and pulled out her wand. She smiled at it; her wand was made of mahogany and was twelve inches long, with a dragon heartstring core. It was also her most prized possession, along with her mother's necklace.

Her smile widened as she pulled a heart-shaped locket from under her shirt. Alex opened it and looked at the two faces smiling at her. One was her mother, a woman with long black hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. The other was her father, a man with blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.

A knock on the door caused Alex to look up and Orion to growl. The door opened and Uncle Monty came into the room. He looked from Alex, to the wand in her hand, to the open and packed trunk and smiled.

"I guess you heard," he said. When Alex nodded, he continued, "Well then, where exactly were you planning on running away to?"

"Um…" It struck Alex that she had no idea. Feeling stupid, she looked down.

"Well, it's a good thing I know then." Alex looked up and he elaborated, "You didn't expect me to let you go, did you? Now come on, finish packing and meet me downstairs in five minutes."

Alex finished packing the rest of her belongings in her trunk and grabbed another bag. In it, she put all her mother's photo albums and some of her own. Finally, she took Monty's cage and went down the stairs. Uncle Monty was waiting at the front door holding something.

"An early birthday present," he said, handing it to her, "Since I may not get the chance to send it to you later."

Alex set down the cage, trunk, and bag so she could open the card. The front had a black dog that looked like Orion. Alex opened it and read aloud, "Wishing you a very happy 13th birthday, your dynamic duo Uncle Monty and Orion."

Alex smiled and opened the gift. It was a sketchbook with a picture of a black dog on the cover. Alex looked at her uncle and Orion, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered and hugged them both.

"Your mother drew that picture on the cover," Uncle Monty said, "Now you can draw for us what Hogwarts is like."

Alex thanked her guardian again and put the sketchbook in her bag. Her uncle opened the door and they stepped out into the warm summer night, closely followed by Orion. When they reached the end of the driveway, Uncle Monty stopped and muttered, "_Lumos!_" Instantly, the tip of his wand lit up and Alex could hear a car coming. A large bus stopped in front of them and Alex saw gold letters that read, "The Knight Bus".

A man came out, not much older than seventeen. He was scrawny and suffered from bad acne. He looked at Uncle Monty's outstretched wand to Alex and smiled. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw a snarling Orion.

"W-Welcome to the Knight Bus," he said, not taking his eyes off Orion, "Emergency transport for any lost witch or wizard. My name's Stan Shunpike and I'll be you conductor for your travels tonight."

"Thank you my good sir, she'll be on in a minute. Now Alex," Uncle Monty said as Stan tried to get the trunk on the bus, "Go to the Leaky Cauldron, I've already sent an owl to Tom, the innkeeper. Stay there and get your school things, but don't go into Muggle London, all right? There's always a chance the police will be looking for you."

"But, what about you? Aren't you coming with me?" Alex asked.

"I'm afraid I can't," Uncle Monty said shaking his head, "I have to stay here and go to court. Listen, don't worry about me. I have a good lawyer and we'll win this case.

"All right," Alex said. She hugged her uncle and bent down to hug Orion.

"Stay here boy," she whispered, "Look after him, all right? I'll see you soon, I promise."

Alex climbed aboard the bus and followed Stan to where she was to sit. However, instead of seats, there were beds. Alex sat on the bed and looked out the window at her uncle and Orion. She waved good-bye as the Knight Bus made a loud _CRACK_ and sped away.

_Author's Note: Hello readers! So what did you think of Alex's great-aunts? Not very friendly, huh? I'm thinking about having them make an appearance later in the series, not sure yet though. If you all like them enough, I might bring them back. It's kinda fun to write evil characters. Also, I know a lot of you wanted to know how I would have Orion come to Hogwarts with Alex. I'm sorry but I decided it would be better for him to stay at home. Plus, dogs aren't allowed according to the letter the first years get. Don't worry though, you'll see him again…_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put this on alert, and put this in their favorites. I hope you all will continue to enjoy this as the series continues. If you have any questions or just want to talk about my work, feel free to review or PM me. I'm usually very good about getting back to you. Please let me know what you thought of this! :D_


	4. Chapter 3 Not Alone

_Author's Note: No, I'm not secretly J.K Rowling writing on this fan-based website. I'm just your average fan wishing they could be as awesome as J.K Rowling._

Chapter 3 Not Alone

Alex sat back on the bed, her eyes itching with tiredness. She reached down and grabbed her bag, putting it at her feet.

"Where you headed?" Stan asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron, in London," Alex said.

The conductor went to the back of the bus and came back with a receipt in his hands. Alex paid him with the money from her bag and Stan went to the front of the bus. Alex looked out the window at the buildings streaming by and began to feel sick. She instead turned to the front and saw Stan reading the _Daily Prophet_. On the cover was the man from the television, Sirius Black.

"Wizards are looking for him too?" Alex asked.

Stan looked up and turned to the cover. He shivered slightly and said, "Oh yeah, don't you get the _Prophet_?" When Alex shook her head, Stan gave her the front for her to read. Alex leaned back and looked the cover over. It had a picture of a man with black, lank hair and piercing grey eyes. His skin was pulled over his face, as though it was too tight for his bony features. The headline read: "Black Escapes!" Alex read the rest to herself:

_The Ministry is still looking for the escaped madman, Sirius Black. Black, who escaped from Azkaban earlier this summer, was one of You-Know-Who's greatest supporters and is still remembered today for his killing of thirteen people with a single curse. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge had only this to say on the matter: _

"_The dementors are searching for Black and we ask everyone to remain calm, but cautious. Black is an unstable man and will not listen to reason."_

_Fudge has been criticized for his telling of the Muggle Prime Minister about Black. In response, the Minister said, "It is important everyone knows what they're up against. Black will kill anyone who stands in his way, even a Muggle."_

_So far, there has been no sign of Black. If you have any information, please send a fast owl to the address below._

Alex looked up at Stan and shook her head. Handing the paper back, she fiddled with the locket around her neck. She hoped he was caught, she hated the thought of a madman who could do magic wandering around the country.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" Stan yelled.

Alex grabbed her bag and empty owl cage and went to the front of the bus. After setting her stuff on the ground, she helped Stan lift her trunk out of the bus. Stan waved good-bye and the bus disappeared. Suddenly realizing how alone she was, Alex shivered and went into the inn.

There was no one at the tables or the bar. Alex rolled her trunk away from the door and looked around. The hair on the back of her neck went up and she swung around, seeing nothing.

"Hello?" she called, "Is anybody here?"

A head appeared from behind the bar. The head belonged to the body of an old man. He smiled, showing many missing teeth, and came over to her.

"What can I do for you, missy?" he asked, wheezing slightly.

"My uncle said he sent an owl telling you I was coming," Alex said nervously.

"Ah, you must be Alex," he wheezed, smiling, "Yes, follow me."

Alex dragged her trunk up the stairs and down a hallway. The old man stopped and waved his hand in front of the door, unlocking it. He held the door as Alex pulled her trunk in and put it at the end of the bed.

"If you be needing anything, just ask for me, Tom the innkeeper," he said.

"Thanks, I will."

She watched as he closed the door and sat down, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Alex didn't even change and went straight to sleep.

…...

Alex was up and ready by the time the witch who came to turn up the beds knocked on the door. She walked to the eating area and ordered some breakfast. As she sat and watched her legs dangle from the bar stool, she heard a familiar, gruff voice.

"Hullo there Alex."

She spun around and saw Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, towering over her. Alex smiled and jumped off her stool, only coming up to his waist.

"Hagrid, what are you doing here?" she asked while giving him a hug.

"I'm just…gettin' some things together fer the new year," he said awkwardly, "So, how's yer uncle doin'? Come ta think of it, where's he?"

Alex sat down, Hagrid following, and told him what happened with her great-aunts. It felt good to tell somebody and Hagrid sat quietly, listening. Only when she had finished did he speak.

"I'm sorry Alex, really am. But I know yer uncle and he'll come through fine, trust me," he said, patting her arm so that Alex could feel her bones shaking, "Have you gotten yer school things yet?"

"No, my list hasn't come yet," she said.

"That's because I have it right here," Hagrid said as he pulled a thick parchment envelope from the inside of his overcoat, "Dumbledore heard wha' happened an' wanted me ter deliver this meself. O' course, he never told me wha' happened, only tha' you was here and probably upset."

"Thanks Hagrid, I'm glad you came," Alex said, taking the envelope and smiled up at him.

"Well, come on then. We got lots ter buy and I have some things ter do too."

Alex ran upstairs, grabbed her jacket, and came back down all before Hagrid had finished a drink. She waited for him to pay and then followed him to the back of the inn where the entrance to Diagon Alley was. Hagrid tapped the brick and the entrance appeared. Alex stepped out into the alley and smiled to herself. Diagon Alley was full of bustling shops and witches and wizards trying to beat the afternoon crowds. Alex followed Hagrid away from the entrance and she pulled out her booklist. She noticed Hagrid watching her eagerly and looked down the list. She frowned at the last book title.

"_The Monster Book of Monsters_?" she asked, raising a dark eyebrow at the paper, "Is that the Care of Magical Creature book?"

"Yep, come on, let's get goin'," Hagrid said happily.

Alex sighed and followed her giant friend to Flourish and Blotts, wondering why he was so happy. As she walked in, she heard shouting on her left. Turning, she saw a large cage with at least ten books wrestling each other. Every word they said was either a curse or a taunt. Alex shook her head and went up to the counter.

"Excuse me?" she asked, seeing no one there.

A man came from the back and smiled at her. Alex guessed he was the manager by his uniform. It was different from all the other workers.

"I'm from Hogwarts," Alex said. The man's face dropped and he sighed.

"Very well, let me get your other books before I have to go to the cage," he said, sounding depressed.

Alex looked at the cage of wrestling books and blinked.

"You mean…those are _our_ books?" Alex said, eyeing the cursing books with displeasure.

"Good luck with them," the manager muttered and led Alex to the back of the store.

Soon, Alex had her books, including the one for Arithmancy. Alex was taking Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures for her new classes this year. The last book they needed to get was her Care of Magical Creatures book, _The Monster Book of Monsters. _The manager put the books on the table and Alex noticed he was pale.

"Let me just grab my gloves, those things are vicious," the manager said and he opened a door to a room behind the counter. Alex went over to the shouting books and frowned.

_"Can't you all be quiet for just one minute?"_ she asked angrily.

The books stopped and looked at her, confusion in their large brown eyes.

_"You talk like us?"_ one asked.

_"Yeah, I can talk with all animals and since you are like animals, I can talk to you too. Now listen,"_ she said sternly, _"There's a nice man who's going to take one of you out of here to go with me. I don't want any biting or snapping at him, all right?"_

They nodded and began to move around, trying to get out of each other's way.

_"It's very small in here,"_ said one book with a large rip in the cover, _"Can we get a bigger cage?"_

_"I'll see what I can do,"_ Alex whispered as the manager came over. He looked at the silent books and then at Alex.

"This is the quietest I've ever seen them," he remarked happily.

"Do you think they could have bigger cages?" she asked as the manager pulled out the least beat-up book and handed it to her, "They looked very cramped. Maybe that's why they fight so much."

"You know, I think you're on to something!" he said, smiling.

Alex petted the purring book in her hands and paid for the rest of her books. She found Hagrid in the dragon section and had to practically drag him out of the shop. After Alex refilled her potions ingredients, bought longer robes, and followed Hagrid into the animal shop, she was tired and hungry.

She and Hagrid were walking back to the Leaky Cauldron when Alex came to a sudden halt outside the Quality Quidditch Store. Up on a pedestal was the most beautiful broom Alex had ever seen. A plaque read "The Firebolt" in fancy lettering. Under that was a sign talking about the wonderful aerodynamics and handpicked tail twigs.

"Isn' tha' a beauty?" Hagrid asked, seeing what Alex was gapping at.

"Yeah," was all Alex could say, but she knew it wasn't just beautiful. It was the work of a genius. She felt Hagrid drag her away from the gleaming broom and sighed longingly. Alex loved everything about Quidditch, from flying to hitting Bludgers, flying balls that tried to knock the players off their brooms. Unfortunately, there were no empty positions for Alex to play, so she was stuck with watching from the audience and cheering on her team. She knew that it would be useless to pay for a broom when she wasn't even on a team and a broom like that would most likely cost a fortune, maybe two.

The rest of the evening, Alex talked to Hagrid about the Firebolt. She was so into what she was saying that she didn't realize that Hagrid was drifting off. Finally when he gave a loud snore, Alex stopped, blushing. He stood up, almost hitting his head on the lights above, and pushed in his chair.

"Well, I'm off ter school, there's a few things I need ter get in order before the start o' term," he said, looking down at her.

"You've been very vague lately, Hagrid," Alex said as she stood up too, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Yeh'll see at school. Now, Dumbledore got a letter from yer uncle tellin' him to tell you tha' yeh're to behave yerself and don't go gettin' into any trouble, all righ'? Yeh better behave or yer uncle will have me hide before I can say "Norbert's fire"," said Hagrid seriously. Then he gave her a back breaking hug and waved good-bye.

Alex went upstairs and pulled out her new school things. She put _The Monster Book of Monsters_ on the floor and knelt down next to it.

_"Now listen, you've got to be on your best behavior with me. I won't tolerate any swearing or biting at all, especially when we're at Hogwarts, got it?"_ The book nodded and Alex smiled. _"Now that we've got the rules squared away, what shall I call you?"_ she asked politely.

_"Everyone calls me Little Monster because I'm the smallest of the group,"_ it said.

_"Then Little Monster it is,"_ Alex said.

She got up and ready for bed, watching the sun set from her window. Alex sat on her bed and picked one of her school books and began to read it. Luckily it was her Potions book and she read it with a smile on her face. Potions was always her favorite subject, even if her teacher wasn't. Alex hated Professor Snape just about as much as he hated her. Ever since she arrived at Hogwarts, he tried to make her life miserable.

Finally, after reading about a particularly interesting potion, Alex picked up her Hogwarts envelope and used it as a book mark. As she grabbed it, a piece of paper fell onto the floor. Alex leaned over and picked it up, reading it. It was a letter asking Alex to have her parent or guardian give permission to go to Hogsmede, the all-wizarding village right outside Hogwarts. Alex sighed and put the paper on her nightstand. She wasn't going to send a letter to uncle, unless it was important, because she knew he was busy and he had asked her to. He said that some of his enemies might intercept the letter and tip off her great-aunts as to her whereabouts. Pushing all thoughts about Hogsmede aside, Alex rolled over and fell asleep.

…...

For the next two weeks, Alex had a routine she did each day. In the morning, she would get dressed and eat breakfast in the main room. Then she would go the Diagon Alley and look at the Firebolt until the store got too crowded. After a quick lunch at any open restaurant, Alex would go to the animal store and listen to the lady at the counter tell stories about her ten cats, five dogs, and three owls. Sometimes, when the store was very busy, the lady would ask Alex to help her get the animals from their cages. Afterwards, Alex would go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor where she would get the new flavor of the day. After strolling down the streets until it got dark, Alex would head back to the Leaky Cauldron, eat dinner, and read until she fell asleep.

Alex woke up one morning and stretched. She smiled at her still sleeping bird and got dressed quietly. Monty had arrived the day before, after Alex sent a note to Hermione asking to let Monty find her. Once checking herself in the mirror, Alex grabbed her money bag and headed out the door. As she waked down the hallway, she tripped over a bump in the carpet and her money bag dropped, sending Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts everywhere. Alex muttered a series of dirty curses as she got on her knees to pick the money up. She heard footsteps from behind her and saw another pair of knees at her side.

"Thanks," Alex said standing up, "I'm such a-HARRY!"

Harry was standing in front of her, holding the money he had collected. He had really shot up over the summer, now almost Alex's height. She hugged him, talking the entire time.

"What are you doing here? _How_ did you get here? _When_ did you get here?" she said.

"It's a long story and I'm starving. Come on, I'll tell you while we eat," he said, leading the way to the main room.

Once they had ordered their food, Harry started talking. What he said surprised Alex and made her snort into her milk.

"You're telling me that you made your aunt blow up so you ran away, got on the Knight Bus, came here, talked to the Minister of Magic, and didn't get in trouble at all? Wow Harry," she said sitting back in her seat, smiling, "That's a little thing I like to call luck."

"Tell me about it, the entire time I thought I was going to get arrested, let alone expelled," Harry said shaking his head, "So, what's up with you? Why are you here?"

Alex's smile faded and she told Harry everything that happened, from her aunt's surprise visit to having to leave home. When she finished, she looked away so Harry wouldn't see her shining eyes. He leaned over and patted her arm.

"I'm really sorry Alex, but if worse comes to worse, maybe you could stay with me. No, I take that back, that would be a death sentence and I'd hate to be the cause of your early death," Harry said, smiling.

Alex laughed. She was happy Harry had made a joke out of it; she was tired of feeling depressed about the entire incident. After eating, Alex helped Harry get all his school supplies and later coached him through his Potions essay. When Alex went to bed that night, she was very happy to have one of her best friends to talk to.

_Author's Note: Anyone like the title of this chapter? Anyone care to hazard a guess where it came from? Give you a hint, it's a song title from a totally awesome musical. If that doesn't give it away, I don't know what will! :)_

_So besides the title, what did you think of this? I know it's kinda a filler chapter but the next one is more exciting, I promise. The rest of the gang arrives and the mystery starts. Plus, Alex makes a deal with someone…hehe! Anyway, let me know what you thought of this and I will forever be grateful. Plus, I always thank the people who review at the end of my story so you'll get recognition! Yay! :D_


	5. Chapter 4 Deals and Conversations

_Author's Note: Nope, still don't own anything except Alex and the plot points you don't remember from reading the _Harry Potter_ series._

Chapter 4 Deals and Conversations

Alex was working behind the register of the animal shop, thinking about how the last weeks had gone by so fast, when a loud voice snapped her back to reality.

"Alex, we've got a boy taunting the animals in the cages on the wall. Can you go tell 'em off for me?" said the manager, and Alex's new friend, Rose.

"I'm on it!" she shouted over the noise of the animals.

Alex hopped over the counter and went over to the cages that were stacked on top of each other and heard a voice that was only too familiar.

"Come and get your food, you stupid animal!"

"Hey, cut that out!" Alex said angrily. The last thing she needed right now were Malfoy's taunts.

He spun around and saw Alex. His smirk widened.

"Well, well, I didn't know you worked here," Malfoy drawled, "Your uncle can't afford to keep that big house so now he's forced you to work? How touching."

"It's volunteer work, you moron, see the apron I'm wearing?" Alex said, pointing to the word 'Volunteer' on her blue apron.

"Oh, now that's not how you treat a customer, is it? Now I might think about going somewhere else," Malfoy said, his eyes glinting evilly.

"What do you want then? If all you came to do is tease the animals, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Alex said, struggling to keep calm.

"My owl keeps fainting and refuses to carry my letters," he said, handing Alex a beautiful owl that was wrapped in a blanket.

Alex took the bird and went up to the counter, putting the bird down before she hopped over it. She then proceeded to look the owl over, checking its eyes and ears.

"How long has your owl been like this?" Alex asked Malfoy, who was on the other side of the counter watching the nearby rats.

"Huh? Oh, about three weeks, maybe four," he said shrugging.

Alex bit back a nasty retort and began to run her hands up and down the bird's abdomen, feeling for anything unusual. Usually, Rose would do this, but she was busy with a rather picky client who only wanted a certain cat. When Alex reached the middle of the abdomen, the owl gave out a screech of pain.

"Shh, it's okay," Alex cooed as she petted the owl's head lovingly, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"What did you do?" Malfoy said angrily.

"She's tender around-"

"It's a boy."

"Sorry, _he's _tender around his midsection. It might be he ate something bad or can't go to the bathroom. What do you feed him?" she asked.

"How should I know? The house elves feed him," Malfoy said haughtily.

"Let me get this right: your bird's been sick for almost a month and you don't do anything until now, and you have no idea what he's been eating? So for all you know, he could be eating Chocolate Frogs or aspirin! How can you be so heartless?" she said angrily, feeling white hot anger rise up inside her.

"First of all, we've been very busy around my house. Secondly, the house elves have him on a very strict diet. They take good care of all the owls. Third of all, what in Merlin's name is aspirin?"

"Well, I'm glad _some _people in that house of yours are taking care of the animals," said Alex, ignoring his third question entirely, "Because it's quite apparent that you could care less! I really don't care if you're on the tightest schedule in all of Europe! When an animal is sick enough to be fainting on the spot, you take it to the nearest veterinarian!" Alex said shaking with rage, "You don't deserve such a beautiful creature!"

"How much would it be to make him better?" Malfoy said.

"Oh, so now you want to help him, when it might be too late?" she said, but after seeing Malfoy's pleading face, she sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with him, so we might have to run some tests to find out. I could ask how much-"

"Don't worry about it then," Malfoy said, waving his hand.

"S-Sorry?"

"I'll just take him home and have one of the house elves take care of him. Father can get me another owl."

"So that's it then? You might have to pay a little more than you bargained for and you're just going to replace him?" Alex said, feeling her eyes burn, "It's not like you don't have the money, you just too lazy to have to do something. For all you know, it could be cheaper to take care of this one than to buy another!" Alex shook her head and looked down at the owl. Suddenly, and idea came into her mind. "Give him to me."

"What?" he said, "Are you out of-?"

"I'll make him better and after I'm done, you can have him," Alex said, looking him straight in the eye, "I have one thing to ask you though, you have to keep him until we get to school. It's only one day, I'm sure you'll manage."

"Deal," he said and put out his hand. They shook and Alex watched Malfoy leave with the bird, shaking her head.

…...

It was around lunchtime when Alex left the animal shop and found Harry in the Quality Quidditch Shop, ogling the Firebolt. When she told him about her encounter with Malfoy, Harry whistled.

"You sure you can take care of this owl? I mean, you've never done it before, right?" he asked.

"There's a first time for everything and besides, I'll be able to talk to the bird without anyone looking at me like I'm some psycho. Come on, I'm in the mood for some ice cream," Alex said, leading Harry to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

They had just ordered their ice cream and went to find a place to sit when they heard someone shouting their names.

"Harry! Alex! Over here!"

Alex spun around and saw Hermione and Ron sitting under an umbrella eating. Hermione was a very smart girl with long, bushy brown hair and light brown eyes. She was especially tan because she had spent her summer in France. She was also Alex's best friend, no matter how annoying she could be at times. Ron was a tall, lanky boy with bright red hair, like all the Weasleys, and his face, which was normally freckly, was covered in freckles, making him look tan as well. Alex ran over and hugged Hermione and then Ron.

"We heard that you two were staying at the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you left early this morning," Ron said happily, "Harry, did you really blow up your aunt?"

Alex roared with laughter when Harry nodded. Hermione, however, looked appalled.

"Harry, you could have gotten expelled!" she said over Ron's laughter.

"Yeah," Ron said calming down, "But if it had been me, my mom would have made sure there was no one to expel."

Once everyone had finished their ice cream, Alex offered to help Hermione carry some of her books while they walked.

"Holy Merlin, Hermione! What's in here, bombs?" Alex cried when Hermione gave her a rather bulky bag.

"No Alex, they're my books, I'm taking more subjects then you, remember?" Hermione said, lifting her own bag and pulling out her change purse, "I still have some money my parents gave me for my birthday. They wanted me to get something for myself, so what should I get?"

"Anything, as long as it's not another book," Ron said as he held one of Hermione's bags.

"How about an owl?" Alex said happily, "There's an animal shop just down the road where I volunteer at and they've got some great owls."

Hermione nodded and followed Alex to the store, the boys dragging their feet under the weight of the bags. Upon entering, Alex went to the owl section and showed Hermione her favorites of the bunch. She left Hermione to look around and went to see what Ron and Harry were up to.

"It's my rat, he's been a bit off since we got back from Egypt," Ron was telling the manager.

"Oh my, he's been through a lot, hasn't he?" Rose said looking at Scabbers' missing toe and bald patches.

"He was like that when my brother gave him to me," Ron said defensively. Alex knew Ron didn't like to talk about how he always got the hand-me-downs from his older brothers. Even if they weren't the richest family, Alex didn't care because they had always been good to her and her uncle.

"Why don't you try some rat tonic?" Rose suggested grabbing a small red bottle from under the counter, "It'll make him a bit peppier."

Ron nodded and paid for the tonic. As he was shoving Scabbers into his pocket, a large orange flash came down and attacked Ron's head.

"Crookshanks, no! Bad cat! Get off him!" Rose shouted.

Ron managed to shake off the cat, but Scabbers slipped off and ran out the door. Alex watched them go and helped Rose get the overweight cat into its proper cage.

"Actually Alex, can I see him?" Hermione said, looking at Crookshanks fondly.

"Yeah, sure," Alex said, handing the cat to her friend.

Hermione held the cat and he began to purr loudly. From the look on her face, Alex knew that Hermione wanted him. She looked at Rose, who sighed and said, "Come over here, dearie, and let me ring him up for you."

…...

"YOU BOUGHT THAT THING?" Ron shouted once Alex and Hermione found them by the Quidditch store.

"Isn't he wonderful?" Hermione asked petting her new cat on the head.

"He attacked my head!" Ron said angrily.

_"I only wanted the rat, you see,"_ Crookshanks told Alex, who relayed this to the others.

"Scabbers is supposed to rest and relax! How do you expect that to happen when he has to worry about him?" Ron said, pointing at the cat.

"Oh honestly Ron, Scabbers will be in the boy's dormitory and Crookshanks will be in the girl's. Stop fussing and let's get back, it's almost dark."

_"I don't like that rat,"_ Crookshanks told Alex as they reached the Leaky Cauldron, _"He's bad and…different. I don't like different."_

_"Maybe it's that he's older than you're used to,"_ Alex whispered quietly.

_"No, I know what old rat smells like: death. This one, Scabbers as you call it, smells of evil,"_ Crookshanks said almost maniacally.

_"Okay then,"_ Alex said awkwardly, _"Because that's not really weird."_

But before the cat could respond, Alex heard someone shout her name. She turned and saw Mrs. Weasley and her daughter Ginny coming over. Mrs. Weasley gave Alex a big hug.

"Alex, oh it's so good to see you! How are you dear? Got all your things packed?" she said happily, looking Alex up and down in a motherly way.

"Yes Mrs. Weasley, just some little things to put away," Alex said happily. Mrs. Weasley was like another mother to her. "Hey Ginny, how was Egypt?" Alex asked the youngest and only girl Weasley.

"Wonderful, though the mummies creeped me out a little," Ginny said smiling.

Alex had just walked over to Harry when she saw Percy come over. He had a badge with the letters 'HB' written on it.

"Ah Harry, Alex! How wonderful to see you on such a beautiful day! How are you both?" he said in a very posh voice. He shook hands with them both.

"Um, fine Percy. How about you?" Alex said slowly. Percy could be strange, but never this strange. Plus, Alex was shocked Percy was even talking to her after the prank she pulled on him at the beginning of the summer. She, Fred, and George had led him away from his girlfriend and proceeded to tell her a bunch of embarrassing stories about her boyfriend. Harry was looking at Percy like he'd never seen anything like him.

"Splendid, simply splendid!" Percy said, "Now Harry, I-"

"Harry! Alex! How _are _you?" came the voice of Fred, imitating Percy's voice.

"Fred! Stop that right-"

"Percy, my dear brother! My own flesh and blood! How are you doing this _beautiful_ summer day?" said George, who came right behind his twin and shook Percy's hand so that his shoulder was moving up and down.

Alex tried to suppress a bark of laughter with a cough, but completely broke down into fits of giggles. Percy looked angrily at her and stalked off. Fred and George turned to Alex and Harry, who was laughing too.

"He's been like that ever since he got his letter saying he's Head Boy, so-" George said, rolling his eyes.

"-we just had to give him a taste of his own potion," Fred said, finishing his twin sentence.

Just then, Mr. Weasley came over, smiling at his sons and Harry and Alex. Mr. Weasley was a tall man with thinning red hair and glasses.

"Come on you five, it's dinner time," he said.

Dinner was a lot of fun, there was never a dull moment with Fred and George still imitating Percy and Hermione and Ron talking about their trips. Once everyone ate to their full, Alex went to her room to get ready for bed. She had just put on her pajamas when she heard a noise from the room next door.

"Ron! Where is it? If you stole it, I swear I'll-"

"I didn't take your bloody badge Percy! You probably left it on the dinner table! Have you seen my rat tonic?"

Alex sighed and went next door and knocked. A very upset Percy answered the door. Alex raised her eyebrows at his glare.

"What's up in here? I can hear you from next door," she said.

"Ron took my Head Boy badge!" Percy said angrily, opening the door wider.

"I never touched your-" Ron started furiously.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, opening his door across the hall.

"Brotherly love," Alex said in a stage whisper, "Ron can't find his rat tonic and Percy can't find his badge."

"I think I left the tonic at the bar, I'll go and get it," Ron said.

"Oh no, you're not! You're staying here and looking for my badge," Percy said, his face red.

"We'll get it, Ron" Alex said quickly, grabbing Harry and heading down the stairs, "I can't deal with their bickering any longer, I had to-"

She stopped, hearing voices from down in the bar. She would have continued if she had not heard Harry's name.

"Harry's not a child, Molly. He deserves to know the truth." It was Mr. Weasley.

"Arthur, can you imagine how terrible he'll feel if he knows? He's just a boy!" Mrs. Weasley said firmly.

"He has to be on his guard, he's already been in the forest too many times! Who knows what other kinds of trouble he's gotten into as well?"

"But Hogwarts has Dumbledore and the dementors, surely Black won't try anything with them there?" said Mrs. Weasley, trying to believe her own words.

"Black's determined, Molly, and a determined man will try anything. He's already gotten past the dementors once and, despite what the _Prophet_ says, we're nowhere near finding out how he did it. Also, Dumbledore made sure nothing about this was found out about, but Black is looking for two people for his revenge," Mr. Weasley said gravely.

"W-What do you mean _two_ people? Who else does he blame for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's downfall?" Mrs. Weasley said, her voice shaking.

"Dumbledore told me, and only me mind so don't go telling the children, but there were two families the night You-Know-Who came to the Potters. James and Lily were killed, but Alex's parents were killed as well. Black knew they were there and, according to Dumbledore, he seems to think it's Alex's fault as well."

Alex froze and looked at Harry. Harry opened his mouth to whisper something, but Mrs. Weasley started talking and Alex put a hand up.

"Alex? I always wondered how she ended up living with Elian. Oh, the poor dear, does she know about any of this?"

"She knows about her parents, Elian told her when she got her letter, but nothing about Black looking for her. I think her uncle should be the one to tell her, but with Harry, he has no wizarding family to tell him how dangerous Black is. Someone has to warn him not to go looking for trouble, especially with a madman involved," Mr. Weasley said and gave a huge sigh.

"Well Arthur, you do whatever you think is best for Harry, although I think that if you tell one, you should tell the other. They're like brother and sister, one will find out from the other," Mrs. Weasley said.

Alex heard the sound of scraping chairs and footsteps coming toward them. Quickly, she pulled out her locket and grabbed Harry's arm, elongating the chain and throwing it over his head. She turned the knob to the right just as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came around the corner. Harry and Alex waited until they heard the bedroom door close and Alex turned the knob to the left and took the necklace off Harry, making them visible. Silently, they headed to the bar and found the rat tonic. On their way back, they heard sniggering and looked over to see Fred and George sitting in their room with Percy's badge, which now read: 'Humungous Bighead'.

When they reached their rooms, Alex gave Harry a clap on the shoulder and went to her room, climbing into her bed. She lay there for a while, thinking about what she had just overheard. Surprisingly, she wasn't very scared. She knew she should be, what with a mass murderer looking for her, but she thought about Dumbledore and those dementors everyone talked about. If that wasn't enough to stop Black, then Alex didn't know where she would be safe. Everyone who talked about the dementors did so in a frightened tone. What really annoyed Alex was that, until Black was caught, she would be watched more than ever.

Sighing, Alex knew she couldn't sleep. She always had trouble sleeping the night before she went to Hogwarts. She threw the covers off and went to her bag, searching for one of her books. Instead, she found her sketchbook that her uncle gave her, took it out, and opened it. Inside was a set of drawing pencils and erasers. Alex looked around for something to draw and her eyes fell upon the window where the light of the full moon was shining through. Alex settled herself in her bed and began to draw the view. Alex wasn't sure how long she was at it, but she began to feel her eyes droop. It wasn't long before Alex rested her head on the pillow and fell fast asleep.

_Author's Note: I know, another update so soon! The reason I'm doing so is because I would normally want to update on Sunday but I'm visiting a college that day for an overnight program. Therefore, I will not be home until Monday afternoon and I would feel bad if my fans didn't get an update until then. So here we are! Thanks to _madscientist128_ for suggesting I update today! ;)_

_The gang is back together now! What did you think of this chapter? Did you enjoy Alex and Draco's deal? More of that will appear throughout the story so hopefully you will either continue to enjoy it or find enjoyment from it as the story continues. Also, what do you think of what Mr. Weasley told his wife? The mystery begins…muahahaha! If anyone reading this hasn't read _Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale_, I would highly suggest doing so. It adds a lot of back story to this series and, since some Marauder members appear in this book, it would be helpful to have read the prequel. Just giving you a head's up now. :)_

_Thank you to my lovely reviewers, my amazing favorite-ers, and my awesome alert-ers! Yes, I did make up those last two nouns just for you guys! Having your support keeps me going and puts a smile on my face. If you haven't reviewed and are reading this, I would love to hear from you. I won't know what you all like or dislike unless you tell me. Thank you and hope you enjoyed this! :D_


	6. Chapter 5 HeartLifting and HeartDropping

_Author's Note: So since I have never pretended to be J.K Rowling, does that mean I still have to tell people I'm not her? Really? That's annoying…fine! I'm not J.K Rowling and all I own is Alex and the plot points you don't recognize. Hope you're happy now…_

Chapter 5 Heart Lifting and Heart Dropping

Alex awoke to the sound of growling. Startled, she jumped and looked wildly around. Little Monster had Hermione backed up against a wall, Hermione looking ready to be sick with fear. Possibilities

_"Little Monster, stop that! You don't scare my friends!"_ Alex said exasperatedly, climbing out of her bed and grabbing the still growling textbook, "Sorry Hermione, what's up?"

"Mrs. Weasley told me to get you because breakfast is ready," Hermione said, watching the book purr in Alex's hand, "I take it you managed to keep it calm?"

"Yeah, they just need discipline, that's all. I'll be down in a minute, let me get ready," Alex said, putting down the book and running to the bathroom.

Once she was dressed and ready to go, Alex left her room with Hermione and went to eat. Everyone was sitting at the table when they came in. As soon as Alex sat down, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Alex, can I talk with you for a moment?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking around.

"Uh…sure," she said, putting down her toast and following Mr. Weasley to a corner where Harry stood.

"Mr. Wealsey, this is about Sirius Black, isn't it?" Harry asked knowingly.

"What?" he said surprised, "How did you know that?"

"We, um…We heard you and Mrs. Weasley talking last night," Alex said, not meeting the older man's eyes, "Harry and I had to fetch Ron's rat tonic and we couldn't help overhearing…"

"Oh…I wasn't expecting this," Mr. Weasley said frowning.

"This is better though," Harry said quickly, "Now you can honestly say you didn't mean to tell us anything."

"But you two must be very worried, there's a madman looking for you."

"Actually, I'm not that frightened. No really," Alex said, seeing Mr. Weasley's skeptical face, "If I was on my own and had Black looking for me, yeah I'd be pretty darn scared. But I have Dumbledore and Harry on my side, not to mention all my other friends and my Uncle Monty. Voldemort's scared of Dumbledore, so why wouldn't Black be since he's Voldemort's right-hand man?"

Mr. Weasley shuddered at the mention of Voldemort's name and sighed, turning to Harry.

"Mr. Weasley, Alex is right. I have the entire school looking out for me, and Black wouldn't try anything right under Dumbledore's nose," Harry said confidently.

"Well, I'm glad you two feel that way, but you have to promise me something," he said gravely.

"That we'll be good children and keep our noses clean?" Alex asked forlornly.

"Well, if you want to, that would make things easier. But I know you two and that's not your thing," said Mr. Weasley with a tiny smile, "No, I want you both to swear that you won't go looking for Black."

Alex and Harry stared at Mr. Weasley and turned to each other, both having looks of shock on their faces.

"Mr. Weasley, why would we go looking for someone who wants to _kill_ us? We're not stupid, we know not to go looking for death. It just so happens death-involved situations find us," Alex said shrugging.

"I understand that, but I still want your word, all right?" Mr. Wealsey said, his voice serious and his face grave. Harry and Alex nodded, and he relaxed, "Now go and eat your breakfast, we need to leave in fifteen minutes," he said checking his watch.

Harry and Alex sat down and stated eating, although Alex only ate a little toast. She was too busy thinking about what Mr. Weasley had inadvertently told them: Black was crazy enough to try and kill them while they were in Hogwarts. Why else would he make them promise to not go out looking for him? The thought of Black made Alex's blood run cold and she shuddered. What had they done to make him so obsessed with finding them? It wasn't their fault Harry and Alex's mothers loved them enough for their love to protect them. As this thought crossed her mind, Alex began fiddling with the locket around her neck.

"Hey, you all right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Harry?" she said as he turned back to his food, "We're in this together until the end, right?"

"Of course, I don't know if I could do all this without someone at my side!" Harry said with a smile, knowing what Alex was talking about. "So, remind me what that thing is?" he asked, pointing to the locket in her hand in order to change the subject to something lighter.

"It was my mum's and my aunt had one too, but I gave that to Hermione. It's an Invisibility Necklace. When you turn this little knob to the right, you become invisible. When you turn the left, you become visible again. Apparently there's only three in the world, my great-step-grandmother made them for her step-granddaughters and one for herself. Pretty cool, huh? It's almost like your Cloak," Alex said, glowing with pride.

"Yeah, I remember you using that in our first year. Come on, I still have to pack most of my stuff," Harry said, standing and leaving the table.

Alex followed him up the stairs and turned to her room. When she entered, she sighed and picked up _The Monster Book of Monsters_ and began to pet it.

_"Come on Little Monster, I have to put you in my trunk. No eating the other books! If you're good the entire way there, I'll give you some parchment to eat when we get there,"_ Alex said as she put the book on the top and closed the lid.

She then started getting her stuff to entertain her on the train ride. She took her Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks and her sketchbook. Once that was completed, she coaxed Monty into his cage. Alex brought her stuff downstairs and went over to Fred and George, who were both wearing mischievous grins.

"All right, what did you two do?" she asked with a smile.

"Do you remember last night when we messed with Percy's badge?" George asked and Alex nodded.

"Well, he had a fit when he found it this morning, cursing his head off at Ron. I've never seen him that mad before, have you George?" asked Fred.

"Expect for the one time we took his Prefect badge and replaced with one that shouted rude remarks when people passed him," sniggered George.

Alex rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair. She had just sat down when the rest of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione came down together. Mr. Weasley was constantly checking his watch and finally went outside.

"They're here!" he called and started helping the others load their trunks and pets outside.

"Who's here?" Alex asked Ginny as they left the inn.

"Dad managed to get Ministry cars to drive us to the station," Ginny said with a smile, "Since we don't have a car anymore."

Alex giggled when she remembered the look on Hermione's face when they had learned the boys crashed the tree into the Whomping Willow. Once all of her stuff was loaded, she and Ginny got in the car and scooted over to make room for Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Percy. The car ride was short (because these cars were able to jump ahead of traffic) and silent (because Ron and Percy were refusing to speak to each other).

Alex was very happy to get out of the car and as far away from the strained silence of the two brothers. Once everyone reached the barrier, Mr. Weasley stopped.

"Let's go in pairs, shall we? Harry and I will go first."

Alex watched as the two went to the barrier and disappeared. Ron and Ginny went next, followed by Fred and George, Percy and Hermione, and finally Alex and Mrs. Weasley. Alex didn't need to run at the barrier anymore so she and Mrs. Wealsey just leaned against it, chatting calmly as though they did this everyday. When they crossed, Alex and Mrs. Weasley went to the group of redheads.

"All right, I packed sandwiches for everyone!" Mrs. Weasley shouted over the commotion. As she handed them out, Mr. Weasley led Harry and Alex away from the others.

"Remember what I said you two, try not to get into too much trouble this year and don't go looking for Black, whatever you may hear," he said seriously.

They nodded and helped Mr. Weasley as he loaded their trunks onto the train. They left them off to the side and went back onto the platform to say their good-byes. Once it was Alex's turn to give Mrs. Weasley a hug, the older woman smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful now, will you?" she whispered.

"Of course Mrs. Weasley, I always am," Alex said with a grin.

The train gave a loud whistle, Alex gave a hurried wave, and they all ran onto the train. She grabbed her trunk and owl cage and went to find the others. The twins and Percy were gone but the others were standing in the corridor, waving Alex down.

"Go away Ginny," Ron said abruptly.

"Oh thanks Ron, I really feel the love right now," she said sarcastically.

Once Ginny was out of earshot, Alex turned on Ron, her eyes burning, and gave him a not too gentle slap on the arm.

"What in Merlin's name was that for?" she whispered.

"Harry said you two needed to tell us something in private," Ron said defensively.

Alex gave an annoyed sigh and led the way down the train, looking for an empty corridor. The only one that was remotely empty was at the end and the only occupant was a sleeping sandy haired man. Alex opened the door quietly and looked in.

"He's out like a light, he won't mind," she whispered to the others.

"Who is he? I've never seen any adults on the train, except for the trolley lady," Harry asked quietly.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione stated.

"How d'you know that?" Ron asked surprised.

Alex sighed and pointed to the tattered suitcase above him with 'Professor R. J. Lupin' written in faded gold lettering. Ron's mouth made an 'O' of understanding but frowned again.

"What do you think he's teaching?" he asked.

"That's obvious, Defense Against the Dark Arts," Alex said with a smile, "That's the only job opening after what you and Harry did with the last one."

Ron and Harry grinned sheepishly. Their last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher lost his memory with his own memory charm. Alex hadn't witnessed his because she and Hermione were petrified and in the Hospital Wing, but apparently the professor used Ron's broken wand. When the spell was cast, it backfired and left the man with no memory.

"So, what's the matter? Harry, you said it was important," Hermione said worriedly.

Alex began telling them what she and Harry overheard and what Mr. Weasley told them. When she finished, she then told them about what happened with her uncle. She thought they deserved to know. When she had finished, Ron whistled and Hermione had her hands up to her mouth.

"Can't we have a normal school year without having to worry about being killed?" Ron asked shaking his head.

"You must be so worried!" Hermione said, looking from Harry to Alex.

"Not really," they said at the same time.

"We're in this together," Harry explained.

"It would be different if we were alone and not going to Hogwarts," Alex said, trying to calm Hermione down.

"I guess Hogsmede is out of the question for you two, huh?" Ron asked. Hermione gave him a hard shove and he cried out, "What? I wouldn't want to go walking around with madman looking to kill me!"

"I wasn't going to Hogsmede anyway," Harry said sadly, "My aunt and uncle were a little too preoccupied with Aunt Marge growing to the size of a small house."

"I can't go either," Alex said, "My uncle's busy with all this legal stuff."

"And you have all that to worry about too! Oh Alex, I'm so sorry!" Hermione said, reaching across and holding her friend's hands.

"Thanks for putting it out there Hermione," Alex said sarcastically but smiling nonetheless, "That makes me feel really happy."

Everyone laughed, but stopped abruptly when they heard a loud snort from Professor Lupin. Harry, who was the closest to their sleeping companion, leaned over to look at him.

"He's still sleeping and he needs it too. He looks like he hasn't slept in a week," Harry said, concerned.

"You think he'll be up to the job?" Ron asked, looking over Harry's shoulder.

"If you keep leering over him like that, he'll wake up and run off the train." Alex said, shaking her head, "He's just tired, let the poor guy sleep."

Ron and Harry returned to their seats and Ron started going on about Hogsmede so Harry knew what it was like. Alex wasn't interested so she took out her sketchbook and continued her sketch from last night. She looked at the sleeping figure and decided to add him in. She needed something to fill in the space below the window. She had just started shading in her drawing when the compartment door opened, but she was too into her sketching to even bother looking up.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Ron asked icily.

Alex sighed and put down her book. She stood up and held out her arms.

"I was hoping you'd at least wait until we got to school, but I guess this'll be fine. Where is he?" Alex asked, noticing the shocked look on Ron and Hermione's faces out of the corner of her eye.

"Right here," Malfoy said taking a large bundle from under his cloak and handing it to her, "This better work," he whispered as he handed the bird over.

"I've never failed before, partly because I've never done this before, but I have a special way with animals," Alex said and sat down, placing the bird in her lap. She noticed Malfoy didn't move and sighed, "Anything else we can do for you, oh nasty one?"

"I want to watch to make sure you aren't going to hurt him," he said, ignoring the sniggers behind him.

"And how would you like it if someone was breathing down your neck when you're working?" Ron said heatedly.

"I don't believe I was talking to you, Weasel," Malfoy said coldly and turned to Harry and Ron, "How was your summer then, Weasel? I heard you went to Egypt, did you have to sell that your house to get there?"

Ron launched himself at Malfoy, but Harry managed to hold him back. Lupin gave a loud snore and rolled over, making Malfoy back away.

"Who is that?" the Slytherin said nervously.

"Oh him?" Harry said casually, "That's our new teacher, what were you saying before Malfoy?"

Malfoy frowned and turned to leave. He stopped and said, "Come and find me when he gets better," and left. Alex rolled her eyes and started checking the bird over.

_"Hey there fella, what's the matter with you?"_ Alex whispered, feeling all eyes on her.

_"My…baby."_ the bird said softly.

_"Baby?"_ Alex said, jumping up in her seat, _"You mean, you're pregnant! But Malfoy said you're a boy, how can you be pregnant?"_

The bird closed its eyes and fell asleep. Alex looked at the others who were all staring at her.

"The idiot doesn't even know what sex the bird is," Alex said shaking her head angrily, "It's female and she's pregnant. No wonder she didn't feel like carrying his letters, she has a baby inside her for Merlin's sake!"

"Alex, why are you even helping Malfoy?" Ron asked, "Look at all the crap we've put up with because of him!"

"Yes, but I'm helping the bird, not Malfoy," Alex said pointedly, "She can't help it if her owner's a complete ass-"

"Alex!" Hermione said in a hurried whisper and pointed to the still sleeping professor.

"I highly doubt he can hear anything, Hermione," Harry whispered back, "He's still breathing like he's sleeping."

But just in case, the rest of the train ride was quiet and clean. Alex spent most of the ride sketching while Harry and Ron traded Chocolate Frogs. Hermione sat and read one of her many textbooks. Suddenly, the train began to slow down.

"Oh good, I'm famished!" Ron said as he stood.

"We're here already?" Alex asked, putting away her sketchbook and looking at her watch with a frown, "We still have to change into our robes."

"Apparently, but I can't see the castle from here," Harry said as he strained his eyes.

"You can't see anything out there anyway," Hermione said thoughtfully, "It's pouring rain and dark out."

The train gave a lurch and Ron fell into his seat, cursing loudly. Hermione didn't even try to tell him off because she was consoling Crookshanks in his cage. The lights went off and Alex gasped, not from the darkness but from the intense cold that just came.

"Merlin! It's freezing in here!" she said, holding the pregnant owl closer.

The compartment door opened and Alex heard two familiar voices.

"Hello, anyone?" It was Ginny, "Where are you? What's going on? It's dark and cold in here!"

"Guys? Oh, sorry, whose foot was that?" This was Neville.

"Mine," growled Alex, "What are you doing here?"

"I freaked out and Neville found me and brought me here," Ginny said, her voice shaking.

"I'm going to sit down, oh sorry!" Neville said, sitting on Alex.

"Ow! Ginny, that was my foot!" Ron gasped in pain

"Watch the owl!" Alex cried.

"Everyone be quiet!" came a gruff, unfamiliar voice. They turned and saw the now awake Professor Lupin holding a jar of flames, and were silent in an instant.

Alex felt cold fear rise in her and turned to the compartment door. She saw a hooded figure standing outside and watched to door slide open. The figure entered and looked around, Alex could hear its ragged breathing. The figure stopped and turned to Alex and she felt like ice water had been dumped on her. The world began to spin and Alex felt a wave of nausea come across her. She put her head between her knees but that didn't stop the whirling noise and the faint sound of screaming mixed with a high, cold laugh. Alex heard a thud next to her but knew if she moved, she'd vomit. She sat there, hoping this would all end as the cold spread throughout her entire body.

_Author's Note: Hello readers, I'm back from my visit! I had a nice time but am going to wait to hear from all the schools before I make my decision. That's just the kind of person I am, I need everything in front of me before I decide. But enough about me, let's talk about this chapter. _

_What did you think of it? I know some of you were curious about how I would have Alex handle the dementors since she was there with Harry so hopefully this was satisfactory. Also, did you enjoy my little cliffhanger? Hehe, I feel rather evil today! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for too much longer. I like to try and update every other day. :)_

_Thank you to those of you who reviewed, added me to your favorites, and added me to your alerts while I was done. I love coming back from a trip to see my inbox with new messages from you all. If you haven't reviewed, I'd love to hear from you and I promise neither the review button nor myself bites. Well, I don't bite. I can't say the same for the review button…_


	7. Chapter 6 Thank You Mr Dementor!

_Author's Note: I'm not J.K Rowling but that would be so cool if I was. Think of the possibilities…_

Chapter 6 Thank You Mr. Dementor!

And as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Alex gently raised her head and looked around. The first thing she saw was Harry lying on the ground, twitching wildly. Carefully, because she was still queasy, Alex bent down next to Harry.

"Harry, wake up!" she said weakly, hating how she sounded, "Stop this Harry, you're scaring us." She patted his cheek and his eyes fluttered open, everyone giving a sigh of relief.

"Wha-What happened?" he asked, even weaker than Alex, "I heard someone scream."

"No one screamed Harry," Ron said, sounding normal.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, looking at Ron, "I heard it too, a very faint scream and high pitched laughter."

"I'm just saying, no one here screamed," Ron said, looking at Harry and Alex with concern.

_CRACK! _Alex spun around quickly, instantly regretting it as she felt sick to her stomach, and saw Professor Lupin breaking a rather large bar of chocolate. In his other hand was Malfoy's owl. Alex stood up shakily, using the seat to help her up, and took the owl back.

"Here, eat this and you'll feel better," he said, handing Alex a large piece. Alex took it and nodded thanks, not trusting herself to open her mouth. She watched as the professor gave everyone a piece and smiled at them all, "I'm going to go talk with the conductor, excuse me."

Once he was gone, Alex broke her piece and gave Harry the larger chunk. He took it with a small smile and bit into it. His face turned from light green to a pale pink. Alex ate her piece and felt warmer all over and not as nauseous.

"What happened?" she asked the others, "I felt sick so I put my head between my knees and didn't see anything."

"Well, that…that thing came in and started looking at you and Harry," said Hermione, her voice much higher than usual, "Or at least, I guess it was looking, I couldn't see its eyes. But anyway, like you said, you put her head down and the owl scurried out from underneath you so Professor Lupin grabbed it. Harry, your eyes rolled back and you fell over and started twitching." She paused and took a deep breath. "We all thought you were having a seizure or something. Then Professor Lupin stepped over you and told the thing that Sirius Black wasn't here but it didn't leave. He muttered something and a silver light shot out of his wand, making the thing leave."

"After that," Neville said shaking all over, "It felt warmer in here, almost happier. I felt like I'd never be happy again while it was here."

"But you didn't hear anything? Nothing at all?" Alex asked worriedly.

The others shook their heads and Alex sighed, finishing off her chocolate. She looked at Harry who was staring at his hands. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a half smile. A sniffle caught Alex's hear and she looked to see Ginny in the corner, crying. Alex stood up and, with the help of others to lean on, went over to Ginny and put an arm around her.

The compartment door opening made everyone jump, mostly Alex because she was right next to it. Professor Lupin walked in and looked around, his eyes resting on Alex and Ginny. Something flickered in his eyes, but Alex didn't get a chance to look further because it disappeared quickly.

"Professor, what were those things?" she asked, her voice stronger than before, more like its usual self.

"Dementors looking for Sirius Black," he said, addressing the entire compartment, "They seemed to believe he was trying to sneak on here in one of our trunks."

"Must be a midget then," muttered Alex and Ginny gave a choked laugh.

The rest of the ride was quick and silent. Once Alex was sure Ginny was going to be all right, she went back to her seat and finished putting her sketchbook away. She jumped when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Are you all right, Alex?" It was Professor Lupin looking at her with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks," she said awkwardly. How he knew her name was a mystery because she was sure that her name had not been spoken while he was in the room.

Before he could respond, however, the train slowed to a stop. Everyone around the compartment started getting their things together. Alex put the owl into the cage with Monty, whispering quietly that it was only temporary. Alex and the others fought through traffic and finally made their way to the carriages. She smiled at the Thestral pulling the carriage and waved. The skeletal creature gave a small whinny and nodded back. Alex climbed into the carriage with Ron, Hermione, and a still weak Harry.

As they rode to the castle, Alex felt the gut-wrenching cold and put a hand to her mouth while Harry went lower in his seat. When they reached the gates, Alex saw two dementors on either side of the gate. Once they had passed out of sight, Alex took a few deep breathes to prevent herself from vomiting. As soon as the carriage stopped, Alex got out quickly and walked up to the castle.

"Hey Potter!" came Malfoy's cold voice, "Is it true? Did you actually faint?"

"I have an idea Malfoy," Alex said as she struggled to hold both Harry and Ron back, "Why don't you shut your mouth and learn the difference between a male and a female?"

"What are you going on about, Ratcliff?" Malfoy sneered.

"Is there a problem here?" said Professor Lupin as he stepped out from a carriage.

"Oh…no, Professor," Malfoy said with just a trace of sarcasm. With one last look around, he went into the castle flanked by his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. Alex smiled at the professor and continued into the castle. She had only taken a few steps when she heard her name being called.

"Miss Ratcliff! Mr. Potter! Miss Granger!" said a stern voice that made Alex's stomach drop even when she knew she wasn't in trouble.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall?" Alex said, making her way through the crowd toward a strict looking teacher with square glasses.

"Come with me," she said.

"Save us a seat, Ron!" called Hermione, waving.

Harry, Alex, and Hermione followed Professor McGonagall into her office and saw Madame Pomfrey breaking a boulder-size piece of chocolate. When they entered she walked briskly to Harry and Alex and dragged them into chairs.

"Just look at them! I'm telling you, first with the three-headed dog, then the Basilisk, and now this!" she tutted as she used a large hammer to break off pieces.

"What do you think Poppy, should they spend the night in the Hospital Wing?" asked McGonagall worriedly.

"NO!" Harry and Alex said together. Both women looked at them with raised eyebrows.

"We're fine, Professor," Harry said, "Professor Lupin gave us some chocolate and we feel better."

"Oh he did, did he?" Madame Pomfrey said, relaxing a bit, "Well, I'm glad we've finally got a teacher who knows his stuff."

"So," Alex said clapping her hands together and putting on her most charming smile, "Now that that's all settled, may we go to the feast?"

"If Madame Pomfrey thinks you are able to, then I see no problem," McGonagall said, twisting her face to hide a smile.

"Well…I think they're fine. But if you feel sick at all, come and find me. Eat all of this before you leave," Madame Pomfrey said, giving Harry and Alex generous pieces.

They ate their chocolate quietly and quickly. As they were leaving, Alex turned to Hermione.

"Come on Hermione, the Sorting will be almost over," Alex said with a grin.

"Miss Granger will be out in a moment," McGonagall said, "I wish to speak with her about her classes."

Alex nodded and left, waiting just outside the door, telling Harry to go and help Ron save seats. After a few moments, Hermione came out with a large grin on her face.

"What was that all about?" Alex asked.

"Nothing, just talking about my schedule," Hermione said. Alex nodded and did not press the matter.

When they entered the Great Hall, the students were clapping and Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was putting the Sorting Hat and the three-legged stool away. Alex looked around and saw Ron and Harry waving wildly at them. Rolling her eyes and smiling, she and Hermione walked over to them and sat in the seats across from them.

"Did we miss much?" Hermione said quietly.

"Nope, just the munchkins getting Sorted, same old stuff," Ron said with a grin.

Alex was just about to ask Harry if he was all right when Dumbledore stood up and the entire Hall fell silent. The Headmaster was an old man with long white hair and a beard. His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses as he scanned the mass of silent students.

"Good evening everyone and welcome back!" he said happily, "I have a few start of term notices before we begin. First off, I would like to introduce two new teachers to our school."

"Two?" Ron whispered and received a stern look from Hermione.

"As some of you may know, our previous Care of Magical Creatures teacher retired to spend some time with his remaining limbs. Therefore, I would like to introduce you to your new teacher, Professor Rubeus Hagrid."

The Hall exploded into applause, mostly on the Gryffindor side. Alex let out a series of ear-splitting whistles and almost lost her voice from shouting. After everyone settled down, Professor Dumbledore continued.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you all to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin," Dumbledore said.

"Good luck," Alex heard Fred say to his twin and she agreed. No one lasted more than a year with that job. So far, Alex's class had two teachers in the last two years. She applauded for the new professor and looked to see Snape's reaction. Snape loved the Dark Arts and had been after the job since he joined. But what Alex saw was not just annoyance, it was pure hatred. It was the look he gave Harry and her when he was very angry.

"And now, for the usual warnings," Dumbledore continued, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me once again to remind you of the rather long list of banned items and that magic is forbidden in the corridors. Another thing that is forbidden is the Forbidden Forest. There is a reason why it has that name, although I implore you not to go and find out.

"For many of those who are familiar with the guards of Azkaban and those who are not, I ask you all to give me your fullest attention." He paused and waited for absolute silence before continuing.

"Dementors are one of the foulest creatures to walk our world. They have no sympathy and will show no mercy. Therefore, I must ask you to give them no reason to harm you. Do not try to sneak past them after curfew or try to leave the grounds. Do not think that you can make yourself invisible because they have the ability so see through charms or cloaks," Dumbledore said seriously, his eyes glancing at Harry and the others. "Now, let the feast begin!"

Instantly the Hall was filled with talk and laughter. Alex was surprised to find that after everything that happened, she was still starving. Once she had piled her plate with food, she looked at Harry, who hadn't touched anything.

"Come on Harry," Hermione encouraged, "You've got to eat something."

"Don' fush im Erfione," Ron said with his mouth full of turkey.

"Well I'm glad the dementor had no affect on your stomach, Ron," Alex said as she wiped bits of food off her face, "Think of all the fun we'd miss."

"Did you see Snape?" Harry asked as he put a spoonful of potatoes on his plate, "He looked livid."

"I guess the fact that he never gets the job is eating away at him," Alex said with mock sympathy as she put a hand over her heart, "Poor lad, maybe the pain'll be so bad he'll quit."

"We can only hope," Ron said, swallowing his large mouthful of turkey.

The rest of the meal was spent talking about their new classes. Hermione was talking animatedly about Arithmancy to Alex when the plates cleared and it was time to head upstairs. After taking numerous shortcuts they had found over the last two years, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex went to the Gryffindor common room and up the stairs to their dormitories. The girls quickly called their usual beds and got ready. Alex was sound asleep before the rest of the girls came in.

_Author's Note: Okay, so basically this is a continuation of last chapter and more of a filler than anything. I'm posting the next chapter with this because I'm in a giving mood. Don't forget to review though!_


	8. Chapter 7 A Grim Day Back

_Author's Note: How many disclaimers have I done? Quite a few. And do I still own nothing? Yup. All I own is Alex and the plot points you don't recognize._

Chapter 7 A Grim Day Back

By the time Alex came out of the bathroom, there was a line to get in. Smiling apologetically, she stepped out of the doorway just in time to avoid Hermione's mad dash to enter. Once she was dressed and packed her school things, Alex went over to the full length mirror and checked herself over. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her thick black hair and began braiding it. As she watched herself, her eye caught Malfoy's owl perched on her bed. Alex smiled and pulled the cover off her pillow and placed it on the floor next to her bed.

_"This'll have to do for now,"_ Alex said quietly as she fixed the material to resemble a nest, _"Until we can find better conditions for you."_

Finally, Hermione came out and Alex gave her a look that she usually gave so people knew to get a move on.

"About time," Alex said as they headed to the Great Hall.

"I'm sorry that I don't get up and the crack of dawn to get all my things together," Hermione joked, "I use the early morning hours to sleep. Hi boys!"

They had reached the Great Hall and saw both Harry and Ron with their schedules. As soon as they sat down, Professor McGonagall came over and gave Alex and Hermione their schedules too. Alex happened to glance over at Hermione's and cocked her head.

"Hey Hermione? I think there's a mistake with yours, look," she pointed to the first two blocks, "It has you in Divination and Arithmancy at the same time. Let me get McGonagall to fix that."

"No Alex, everything is settled already, don't worry about it," Hermione said quickly, "Anybody want eggs?"

Alex opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. She took some eggs from Hermione and ate. Once everyone had finished eating, they grabbed their bags and headed to the Entrance Hall. When they got there, Hermione let out a groan.

"I left one of my books in the Great Hall. You go on ahead, I'll meet you all in a minute," she said and dashed off.

"Wait, which class are you going to?" Ron shouted after her.

"I guess we'll find out. See you boys later, I have to really run. My class is all the way on the other side of the castle," Alex said and ran.

…...

When she reached the right floor, it took her a few minutes to find the classroom. To her great surprise, she was the second to arrive, but that didn't shock her as much as who was there.

"Hermione! How did you get here before me? I ran the entire freakin' way!" Alex exclaimed loudly.

"I did too, we must have missed each other on the way. Come on and sit down," she said, patting the seat next to her.

The Arithmancy classroom had four circle tables in different areas of the room, and a desk and blackboard at the front of the room. There was no teacher yet but, as the class filled up, an old man with shocking white hair and ebony eyes emerged from a door next to the board. He had just stood before his desk with his mouth open to speak when the door to the classroom opened and Alex's mouth dropped.

"Sorry I'm late Professor, I got lost on the way here."

"No problem Mr. Malfoy, no problem at all. My classroom is particularly hard to find. There's no need to sit," the old man wheezed as Malfoy went to sit with a group of Slytherins, "For, you see, there are so few of you that we have no need for these four tables. Everyone stand up please and pick up your books!"

The professor pulled out his wand and gave it a flick, removing the tables and replacing them with two smaller ones. He smiled at the class, looking at each one intently. There were two Hufflepuffs, one being Ernie McMillan and the other a tall blonde girl, one Ravenclaw boy who Alex only saw in the library, Hermione and Alex, and two other Slytherins boys other than Malfoy.

"All right then, you four," the professor said, pointing to the Ravenclaw boy, the other Slytherins boys, and the Hufflepuff girl, "Over here at this table. The rest of you at this table here."

Alex picked up her bag and went to the table where the old professor pointed to. She made sure she had Hermione and Ernie on either side of her, but forgot that Malfoy would be facing her. It seemed there was no way to win in this situation.

The old professor's name was Professor Nellie and he was an extremely kind man. He handed the class a worksheet that each table had to complete and whoever got the most correct received a prize. When this was told to the class, everyone perked up immediately. Alex smiled at Hermione and knew that prize was theirs.

"You may begin, but talk quietly so the other team can't hear you," wheezed Professor Nellie.

Instantly the entire room was full of chatter. Hermione snatched up the worksheet and began to look it over. Ernie was looking about nervously, obviously not liking the seating arrangement.

"Going to be able to do it all, Granger?" Malfoy said coldly, "I want that prize."

"If you want it so bad Malfoy, why don't you try and find your tiny brain in that oversized head of yours and help us out?" Alex said calmly as she looked at her own worksheet.

Ernie laughed and tried unsuccessfully to cover it with a cough. Malfoy turned his cold grey eyes on Alex and sneered, Alex returning the look with raised eyebrows. He rolled his eyes and took a worksheet and began looking it over too.

"All right then," Alex said, addressing everyone, "Who has number one?"

They spent the rest of the period working the problems out together, with Alex only having to remind Malfoy to help twice. They were the first to finish with ten whole minutes left. All four of them gave the paper to Professor Nellie and returned to the table. When Alex went to her seat, she found Ernie sitting in it. She gave him a death stare that caused the Hufflepuff to shrink back in terror, even though he wasn't even looking at her.

"I'll deal with you later, Macmillan," she snarled as she took her seat beside Malfoy and packed up her bag.

"So Ratcliff, what were you babbling on about before the feast?" Malfoy said.

"Well, to put it as lightly as I can, you're a nitwit, idiot, and a moron. You're owl is _not_ a male as you told me, it's a female. Not only is it a female, but a pregnant female. That's why she had stomach pains and was fainting, although I thought it was your face that made her sick," Alex said, her knuckles white from gripping her bag so tightly to stop herself from hitting Malfoy across the face.

"No, you're lying. The sales person told me it was a male, I asked specifically for one so this wouldn't happen," Malfoy said, shaking his head.

"Well, they were wrong. You'll see in a few weeks when she lays her egg and in months when it hatches."

"How do you know this?" he asked accusingly.

"That's really none of your business, is it Malfoy?" Alex retorted angrily, "And will you stop drilling me like I've done something wrong? I'm just telling you the truth, even if you don't want to believe it."

The bell rang throughout the castle and Alex got up quickly and left, not even waiting for Hermione. As she left, she heard Professor Nellie say that he would have the winners by the end of the day and for them to stop by and see who won. She practically ran to the Transfiguration room and entered to find Hermione sitting there by herself again.

"Hermione, you should go for the Olympics you're so fast," Alex laughed and joined her best friend.

"I'm not fast, I just know where all the passageways are," Hermione said, frowning.

"You'll have to show me then so I can get to my classes in a hurry."

The door opened and in came the others, all silent and worried-looking. Alex gave a questioning look to Harry and Ron, but neither of them spoke. She also noticed how everyone would give sidelong glances at Harry. When Professor McGonagall entered, she didn't seem to notice the tension in the air and began talking about Animagi, the ability to change into an animal at will. Alex would have paid more attention if not for the fact that it was very annoying to watch people stare at Harry and hear their whispering about him. She barely even noticed when McGonagall changed herself into a tabby cat and back again.

"What has gotten into you all today?" she said, "Not that I am trying to brag but I have never had a class who hasn't applauded when I have done a transformation."

"Professor, we just had our first Divination lesson today and Professor Trelawney said that…" Parvati said, but drifted off.

"I see, no need to continue Miss Patil. Who is going to die this year?"

Everyone looked at Harry and McGonagall nodded with a small smile.

"Potter, you should know that every year Professor Trelawney predicts the death of a student. She thinks of it as an exciting way to start of the year with the new students, not that I am criticizing another teacher's methods but…" McGonagall paused and continued, "Anyway Potter, if you happen to die sometime this year I shall not deduct points for any homework assignments you will not be able to turn in."

She turned back to the board while some of the class chuckled, most still looking skeptical. Alex turned around to Harry while the professor was busy and leaned towards him.

"What did the batty professor say that got everyone thinking you were going to die?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"We looked at tea leaves and she said she saw the Grim," replied Harry quietly, "Apparently anyone who's seen it ends up dying. I thought I saw it when I left the Dursley's."

"What is it exactly?"

"A large black dog. Then again, it could have just been a stray or my eyes playing tricks on me. I was rather focused on the fact that I thought I was going to be sent to Azkaban for blowing up my aunt."

Alex laughed and gave him a comforting smile. The rest of the class was normal, except when Neville accidentally transfigured Professor McGonagall's hat into a bat. Alex tried to keep a straight face as McGonagall tried to keep the bat still to transfigure it back, but failed epically.

When the bell rang, Alex and the others headed to the Great Hall for lunch, the boys drilling Hermione about how she got to the room before they did. Hermione decided to ignore them but they were relentless. Finally, when they reached the table, Alex sat down and slammed her hand on the table in annoyance.

"Oh shut up, the both of you!" she cried, "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then she won't with you both drilling her! Now, what's our next class?"

"Care of Magical Creatures-" Harry said carefully, sitting down.

"Halleluiah!" sang Alex loudly.

"-with the Slytherins," finished Ron.

"Hallelu-what?" Alex yelled in mid-song, "You've got to be kidding me, the _one_ class I want to take has a bunch of idiots in green robes! Why me, why me?"

Alex laid her head on the table and gave a very loud groan. Hermione sighed and patted her on the back. Harry and Ron looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Malfoy was in our Arithmancy class and sits at our table," she explained to the boys, "He was being especially annoying today."

The boys nodded in understanding and smiled slightly at Alex's antics. Eventually Alex raised her head and sighed.

"Well, I've suddenly lost my appetite. Are you all ready to go off to our deaths? I hope it'll be swift and painless, but I'm not counting on it," Alex said and shook her head.

Hermione managed to get Alex to eat something before they left. On their way down, Alex saw the white blonde head of Malfoy and tried not to groan. Instead she grabbed her friends and ran to Hagrid's hut. As she was talking excitedly to Hermione about some of the animals she had read about, Hagrid emerged from his hut, looking nervous.

"All righ' then, follow me. I've got a real treat for yeh today," Hagrid said.

Alex put her bag higher on her shoulder and followed right behind him. As they walked nearer the Forbidden Forest, Alex looked back worriedly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hagrid, we're not going into the forest, are we?" asked Alex.

"No, o' course not. We're goin' righ'…here," Hagrid said as they turned the corner.

Alex walked up to the fence and climbed up on the bottom ramp, waiting anxiously. She heard the others coming up behind her and looked around. Everyone was looking at her and Hagrid, some with terror and others with suspicion. Smiling slightly, she got off the fence and went over to her friends.

"All righ' everyone, open yer books to chapter one while I get the creatures," Hagrid said happily.

"And how exactly do we open these things?" came the cold voice of Malfoy.

Alex had already taken out her book and whispered to it to let her open it. She looked around her and saw that everyone else had their books bound with belts or rope. She turned to Harry and shrugged.

"I have a way with _all_ animals," she whispered.

"Yeh stroke the spine o' course," Hagrid said to the class as though it were the simplest thing in the world, "Alex, show us how yeh did it."

Alex felt all eyes on her as she closed the book. She ignored the growling remarks from Little Monster for making him close again as she stroked the spine. Unfortunately, Little Monster was sore with Alex and refused to open again.

_"I'm not going to keep opening and closing for your entertainment,"_ he growled.

_"Come on, please. I'm going to look like an idiot if you don't open. Work with me here!"_ she muttered under her breath.

_"Fine, but this is the last time I'll do it," _the book said and opened.

Alex looked at Hagrid and went back to the crowd. She watched as the others opened their books and tried to ignore the loud cursing of the books for waking them up.

"What was going on up there?" Ron whispered.

"My book wouldn't open, he was tired of me opening and closing him over and over again," Alex hissed as Hagrid turned and went to get the creatures.

"Look at that big oaf! I can't believe he even got this job in the first place, he's such a moron," Malfoy said loudly.

"Can it Malfoy!" Alex shouted, "He knows more stuff than you ever could!"

"Oh look, Ratcliff's defending the teacher, how sweet!" sneered Malfoy, "Are you trying to get a few extra points on your final grade?"

"Please, I don't need extra points," Alex laughed coldly, "Maybe you should try sucking up sometime. I've heard Professor Sinistra loves roses and chocolate."

Malfoy's face looked livid. He just opened his mouth to speak when Alex heard hooves behind her. She turned and gasped aloud. Hagrid was coming out with two of the most beautiful and strange creatures Alex had ever seen.

At first, Alex thought they were very large birds of prey but, after looking closer, she saw that they had hooves. They were much larger than a normal horse and as Alex looked into their piercing eyes, she felt quite small and stupid.

"Hagrid, what are they?" asked Alex, awestruck.

"These are hippogriffs," Hagrid said proudly, "They're part horse an' part bird. Now, they're very proud creatures, hippogriffs. Never insult a hippogriff 'cause it'll be the very last thing yeh do. So, who wants a closer look?"

Alex looked around and saw people backing away. She stepped forward and saw Hagrid smile.

"Good, very good. Thank yeh Alex. Anyone else wanna get up close? No one?" Hagrid looked around pleadingly. Finally, Harry stepped forward and joined Alex. There were gasps and whispers among the students, but Hagrid didn't seem to notice. He led the two volunteers over the fence and to the hippogriffs.

"Harry, this is Buckbeak, an' Alex, this is Firefeathers. Now, both of yeh bow and if yer hippogriff bows back, yeh can pet him. If not, well…yeh better back up pretty quickly," Hagrid said and winked at them for good luck.

Alex approached Firefeathers and bowed. She watched as the hippogriff lowered its great orange head and Alex went to pet him.

_"You're beautiful,"_ she whispered, _"I've never seen such wonderful colors on a creature before."_

_"I know,"_ Firefeathers said haughtily, _"We hippogriffs are known for our wonderful plumage and fur."_

Alex shook her head with smile and looked over at Harry. He was nervously patting Buckbeak's head with a shaking hand. He looked up at Alex and shrugged.

"They're huge, I'm not used to them," Harry said quietly.

"Well done yeh two, I think they might let yeh ride them," Hagrid boomed.

Alex saw Harry's face and laughed. His eyes went wide and he looked paler than before. As she went to mount Firefeathers, she told Buckbeak to be careful and try not to let Harry fall. Alex led Firefeathers over to the fence and was able to climb on him using the rungs of the fence.

_"Well, here we go! Don't pull out any of my feathers,"_ Firefeathers said.

_"Wouldn't dream of it,"_ said Alex and braced herself for the take-off.

Hagrid smacked the hippogriff's hindquarters and Alex wrapped her arms around his neck, shutting her eyes tightly.

_"Don't drop me!"_ she shouted over the wind.

_"Don't worry, I won't let you fall. If I did, Hagrid wouldn't give me anymore ferrets,"_ Firefeathers said over his shoulder.

_"Thanks, that's real comforting,"_ Alex yelled and held on tighter.

They flew around the forest a couple of times and then Firefeathers began to go downward. On the way down, she saw Harry coming down as well and gave him a small wave. He nodded, obviously too afraid to move his arms from the hippogriff. As the ground came closer, Alex leaned back and they landed inside the fence. She managed to hop off with some help from Hagrid and made a flourished bow to the applauding class. She went over with Harry to the fence and sat on the top rung, watching the rest of the class getting in line to pet the hippogriffs.

"How'm I doing?" Hagrid asked them after he got everyone into lines.

"Wonderful Hagrid!" Harry said with a smile.

"This is awesome Hagrid!" Alex exclaimed, "This is definitely my favorite class yet!"

Hagrid beamed at them and left to walk around, watching the students. Ron and Hermione were with Firefeathers and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were with Buckbeak. Malfoy was patting his beak with a smirk on his pale face.

"This is easy," Malfoy drawled coldly, "I bet you're not even dangerous are you, you stupid animal?"

Alex heard a loud screech and saw Malfoy fall. She jumped off the fence and ran to the hippogriff with her arms up.

_"Buckbeak, stop! He's just a stupid idiot who doesn't understand!"_ Alex shouted.

_"Get out of the way human, or I'll make you,"_ Buckbeak said angrily, _"No one insults me without dying."_

_"Listen, he's not worth it,"_ she yelled, _"If you kill him, Hagrid will get in trouble."_

The hippogriff lowered his head and turned away, joining Firefeathers. Alex turned around and saw everyone staring open-mouthed at her. She felt her stomach drop and looked at Hermione who nodded, answering her unasked question. She looked at Hagrid and saw him pick-up Malfoy and take him toward the castle, everyone following and craning their heads to stare at Alex.

"How much of a freak did I look like?" Alex said gloomily as they went to the castle.

"You didn't look like a freak," Hermione said comfortingly.

"Hermione, I ran at a dangerous animal, shouted at it in a series of incoherent noises, and it walked off. I must've looked like a lunatic."

"Well if I was everyone, especially the Slytherins, I'd be praising you," Ron said in the hopes of cheering Alex up, "If you hadn't run between Malfoy and Buckbeak, Malfoy would be dead. Why'd you do it?"

"If Buckbeak did kill Malfoy, which believe me I wish he did," Alex said shakily, "Hagrid would've been fired on the spot. Now, at least he isn't so likely to. I'm just afraid what'll happen. I don't want people thinking I'm some crazed lunatic like Black!"

Hermione put a comforting arm around Alex and led her to the common room with Harry and Ron following close behind. When they arrived, Alex sat down heavily in a chair by the fire, staring off into the fire and watching the flames flicker and crack.

"Alex? Are you all right?" Harry asked, causing her to jump and look around.

"Yeah," said Alex, "I'm getting there. I guess it won't be so bad, people'll laugh and point but I find they can be really unoriginal. And once something more important comes along, like rumors of Black or something, I'll be forgotten."

"You know," Ron said, looking outside, "Hagrid's lights are on. Let's go and see if he's okay."

Alex nodded and ignored Hermione's protests for Harry and Alex to stay inside and grabbed her cloak. She led the others to the Entrance Hall without meeting any teachers or Filch and out onto the grounds. Harry knocked on the door and they heard Hagrid's boarhound Fang barking or, for Alex, begging for meat. Hagrid opened the door and Alex smelled alcohol drifting off his clothes. The four walked in and saw a large barrel of ale. Alex turned to Hagrid with a raised eyebrow.

"Hagrid, I think you've had too much to drink. Hermione, help me move this outside."

While Alex and Hermione lifted the barrel outside, they heard Hagrid telling the boys about how the school governors had been notified and that he didn't expect to be around much longer.

"I swear, if Malfoy even breathes a word against Hagrid, I'll tell Buckbeak to finish what he started," Alex said angrily.

Just then, Hagrid came out and dunked his head into a tub of water just outside the door, getting water everywhere. The girls slipped by him and sat at the table, Hagrid following a few seconds later with a sopping beard.

"Thanks yeh four, yer the best people-WAIT! WHAT ARE YEH DOIN' HERE, ALEX AND HARRY! YER NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OUT AFTER HOURS!"

Alex jumped so much that she fell out of her seat and onto the ground. Hagrid picked her off her feet and half-dragged, half-carried her outside the door.

"Yeh all should know better than to be wanderin' around the grounds at night. I don't want yeh to do it again, I'm not worth yeh gettin' into trouble." Hagrid scolded.

When Alex climbed into bed that night, she thought over the day's events and concluded that, even though it was the most eventful first day back, it was definitely the worst.

_Author's Note: Hello readers! So a lot happens in this chapter and I want to know what you think. Did you like Alex's new professor? How about the Care of Magical Creatures class? And even thoughts about the last chapter are important. How did you like Alex's reaction to the dementors? And how about Professor Lupin meeting Alex? All comments are much appreciated and constructive criticism is always accepted. Thank you to those who have reviewed as well as those who continue to do so, those who put me in their favorites, and those who put me on alert. Don't forget to press that lovely review button! :D_


	9. Chapter 8 Frightens You the Most

_Author's Note: I still only own Alex and everything else that you don't recognize._

Chapter 8 The Thing That Frightens You the Most

"Thanks Hagrid, I'd love to keep her in the dormitory, but she keeps going to the bathroom on the girl's pillows," Alex said as they approached the hut.

"No problem Alex, I'll take good care o' her and her baby."

It was the second day of school and Alex's Arithmancy class was cancelled because Professor Nellie had to visit his sick brother, so she decided to spend that free time outside. She wasn't in the mood to be pointed at and whispered about like some thing on display.

"All righ' there, Alex? Yeh seem bothered by somethin'," Hagrid asked cautiously.

"It's nothing I can't handle, but thanks Hagrid," Alex said curtly, but soon regretted her coldness to her large friend.

"This don' have anythin' ter do with yesterday, do it?" he asked.

Alex shrugged and didn't look up, but said, "A little. It's just annoying seeing people you barely know pointing at you like you're some contagious disease. I don't mind the name calling because there so stupid, it's funny. It's the dirty looks and whispering behind my back that bothers me. If they're so cowardly that they can't talk to my face, then they should just shut their mouths. But I guess that's what Harry's put up with these last two years so I'm getting a taste of what he has to deal with…what I'd have to deal with if it weren't for Dumbledore."

Hagrid nodded and Alex knew he understood. After all, Hagrid was more than twice the size of a normal man so he was probably used to people staring at him. Hagrid opened the door to his hut and Alex set the owl on the table.

"Now, she's been very moody lately so be sure to be careful when you pick her up. She should be laying in a few days, let me know when she does. Where do you want her?" Alex asked.

"Put her righ' here," Hagrid said, pointing to the table by his oversized bed.

Alex picked up the owl and carried her over to the table. As she was walking, Fang got under her feet, causing her to trip. The owl let out a screech and clawed at Alex's arm, flapping her wings and landing on the bed. Alex's robe was tattered at her left arm and there was blood everywhere. Fighting reaction tears, she took the towel Hagrid gave her and applied pressure.

"Let's get yeh to Madame Pomfrey before yeh bleed through," Hagrid said, steering Alex out the hut and toward the castle at a fast pace.

The Hospital Wing was a mad house. Alex walked in while Hagrid waited outside, because Madame Pomfrey did not like having him crowd the room, and saw every bed filled with little first and second years sporting all kinds of injuries, from scratches barely bleeding to giant boils. One kid even had snakes for hair. The matron was working on that one when Alex came in and ran over to her.

"Find an empty bed and I'll be there in a moment. I swear, these youngsters are driving me insane!"

Alex smiled encouragingly and looked around for a bed. There were only two, each next to Malfoy, who had bandages all over his arm. Apparently even the first years knew not to get too close to him, but Alex had no choice. Hoping he would be asleep or just ignore her, she walked over to a bed and lay down, facing away from him.

"What brings you here?" came the cold drawl of Malfoy.

She held up her arm, which had bled through the towel, and said icily, "Your owl is the biggest spaz I have ever met. I tripped and this is what I get."

"Why didn't you just _talk_ to it like you did with that oaf's stupid creature?" he sneered.

"Name calling is what got you here in the first place, Malfoy," she said angrily, "Don't talk about things you don't know. I saved you sorry ass and all I've gotten for it is a bunch of whispers and dirty looks, from your House in particular. So why don't you tell all your little buddies to keep to themselves and leave me alone?"

Before Malfoy could answer, Madame Pomfrey came over and patched up her arm. Once she was able to leave, Alex gave one last look at Malfoy and turned on her heel.

…...

Alex was putting the last ingredient into her potion later that day when the door opened and Malfoy came in, looking like they had to sew his arm to his body instead just of a few gashes. She rolled her eyes and looked next to her at Hermione. Snape told the class to settle down while his favorite student pulled up a chair next to Harry and Ron, who were behind the girls.

"Professor, I need someone to cut my roots because of my arm," called Malfoy to the Potions master.

"Weasley, cut his roots for him," sneered Snape.

Ron grabbed the roots and began chopping them quickly and unevenly, tossing them back when he was done.

"Sir, Weasley mutilated my roots," Malfoy called again, clearly enjoying himself.

"Weasley, switch roots with Mr. Malfoy."

Ron's mouth dropped and he stared at the roots he had worked so hard on to be even. His arms shaking with rage, he traded roots and began to make them even.

"Ron, put them in as they are and get ready to add the powdered ivy leaves when I say," Alex whispered.

Ron looked at her skeptically but did as she said. Once he put the roots in, the potion turned a nasty yellow color and began to bubble.

"Wait for it…wait for it…all right, put a pinch in now."

Ron took a pinch of the powder and dropped it in. The potion fizzed and became a cool blue. Alex tilted her head and frowned.

"Spit into it."

"What? Are you mad?" Ron hissed.

"Your saliva will allow the ingredients to grow to their full potential and cause the potion to become more powerful. Go ahead, Snape's helping Goyle, he's not paying any attention," Alex encouraged a very confused Ron.

He looked around at Harry who was skinning something for Malfoy and spat into the potion. Snape looked up, but Alex had turned to her potion and Ron covered the noise with a coughing fit. Once the professor turned back, Alex leaned over the potion and smiled.

"Now all you need to do is add a splash of leech juice and stir clockwise ten times," she said, beaming.

"Thanks Alex, you're a lifesaver," Ron said and picked up his leech.

"Hey guys, did you see the _Prophet_ this morning?" asked Seamus Finnegan as he borrowed Harry's scales, "They say Black's been sighted right around here."

"What?" Harry and Alex gasped together.

Alex watched as Seamus left, her mind racing. Black couldn't get on the grounds, not with all the dementors around and with Dumbledore here. And yet, Alex had felt her stomach drop when she heard the news, her heart full of a sense of foreboding. She noticed Malfoy looking between her and Harry and came back to earth.

"What do you want?" she spat angrily.

"Thinking about capturing Black by yourselves, are you?"

"Oh of course Malfoy," Alex whispered sarcastically, "Because I just _love_ going around and catching crazy mass murderers who escape from high-security prisons."

"If I were you two though," he continued, ignoring Alex's comment, "I'd have done something by now. I wouldn't sit in school and wait for him to find me."

"And why would Alex and I risk our necks and do that when Dumbledore has all this protection?" asked Harry.

"You don't know?" Malfoy asked suspiciously.

"Know what?" Alex asked, completely fed up with him talking.

Just then, however, Snape began to talk so the entire class could hear.

"Orange, Longbottom? I thought I chose an easy potion, the Shrinking Solution. Yet somehow you have managed to mess it up completely. Everyone, finish your potions so they can simmer. Once they are all ready, we'll feed some of Longbottom's potion to his toad."

Neville whimpered while the Slytherins laughed and the Gryffindors either looked worried or furious. Alex was muttering about cruelty to animals when Hermione raised her hand.

"Please sir," she said bravely, "If I could help him-"

"This is not a chance for you to show-off, Miss Granger. Longbottom needs to learn his lesson."

Hermione went red and Alex clenched her fists and went about putting her ingredients away. She had just come back from washing her hands when she saw Hermione whispering to Neville when Snape's back was turned. Smiling to her friend, she went over to Harry and Ron, seeing that Malfoy was with his gang, sniggering about something.

"What was Malfoy going on about? Why should we want revenge when we barely know Black?" asked Alex.

"Just the babblings of a Slytherin," said Ron, "Don't pay him any mind. He'd love to see you both get in trouble for going out and searching for Black."

"Still…" Harry drifted off.

"Oh come off it," Ron said shaking his head, "Like Alex said, you barely know him. Oh," Ron cursed as he spilled leech juice all over the table.

Alex pulled out her wand and gave it a flick, vanishing all the juice. She saw Harry and Ron looking at her in amazement and said, "What? I flipped through my mum's old spell books and picked up a few things."

"Sorry, it still amazes me that you can do magic without saying the spell aloud," Harry said with a grin.

Snape told everyone to gather around and watch closely. Neville was shaking from head to toe while Snape and the Slytherins grinned maliciously.

"The potion we are testing, if brewed properly," he stopped to allow the Slytherins to chuckle, "Will turn Longbottom's toad into a tadpole. If, as I believe, he messed it up, it will most likely poison the creature."

"I can't watch, tell me what happens," Alex whispered, shutting her eyes and bracing herself for cries of pain. There was a loud _POP_, and she opened her eyes to see a little tadpole floating in the professor's hand. Alex smiled and clapped along with her fellow house mates.

Angrily, Snape fed the little tadpole the antidote and turned to Hermione, saying coldly, "I told you, Miss Granger, not to interfere. Ten points from Gryffindor."  
It was a good thing the bell rang just then because it managed to drown out the heated mutterings of the Gryffindors. Alex stormed out of the room in a fiery temper, scaring some innocent first years when she happened to glare over at them.

"Sometimes I wish he'd take some of his own poison," she ranted as they ascended the dungeon stairs to the Great Hall. She turned to her friends and found they were one short, "Where's Hermione?" she asked.

"Isn't she right behind us?" Harry said as he looked over his shoulder.

"Apparently not," said Ron, "Wait, she's coming."

Alex looked around and saw her friend gasping for air as she dashed toward them. For a moment, Alex thought she saw a glimmer of gold as Hermione came, but quickly put it aside and continued her ranting about their Potions teacher until they finished their lunch.

"At least its Defense Against the Dark Arts next," said Ron in an attempt to cheer Alex up as they left the Great Hall.

When they arrived, there was no teacher which meant there was a lot of noise and people moving about the room. Alex slammed her bag on a desk, took out her books, and began to take deep breaths. This usually helped her calm down when she was angry…usually. She had just finished when Professor Lupin came in, look tired but not as pale.

"Good afternoon everyone!" he said cheerfully over the noise, "No need for books today, just your wands and yourselves. Once you're all ready, follow me."

"Uh-oh," Alex muttered to Hermione as she stuffed her books into her bag and left it there, following Professor Lupin, "Let's hope it doesn't involve pixies, because I think I've been scarred for life." The last time they had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Alex and her friends had to gather up pixies and put them back into their cage. Needless to say they hadn't had good experiences during this type of class.

They had been walking for only a few minutes when they saw Peeves the Poltergeist sticking gum into the keyhole of a broom closet. When he heard the class coming, he swooped over to the professor and began singing loudly, "Loony, loopy Lupin!" over and over again. The entire class was watching Professor Lupin for a reaction. He shook his head and gave a small smile.

"You better get the gum out of there, Peeves, otherwise Filch will not be able to open the closet. He'll be very upset with you."

"Upset?" Alex whispered to her friends, "That's an understatement, he'll be furious."

Peeves continued his little song and Professor Lupin turned to the class, wand raised.

"Class, this is a useful spell, so watch closely." He pointed his wand at the doorknob and said, "_Waddiwassi!_" loudly.

The wad of gum made the sound of a cracking whip and went flying up the poltergeist's nose. Peeves flew off, cursing loudly as the entire class looked at their ragged professor in awe.

"That was awesome, sir," Alex said, very impressed.

"Thank you Alex. Come on everyone."

He led them to the Staff room and held the door open, encouraging them to enter. When Alex walked in, she saw Professor Snape sitting in a chair and reading. He watched as the class filed in and stood up as Professor Lupin came in.

"I'd rather not stay to see this, Lupin," said the potions master. He strode over to the door, stopped, and said, "I don't know if you knew this, but Neville Longbottom is in this class. So, unless he has Miss Granger whispering instructions in his ear, don't expect much from him."

Alex shook her head and watched as Neville and Hermione went red with embarrassment. She was quite happy when she heard what Lupin said in return.

"Actually Severus, I was going to have Neville do a demonstration for the class. I'm sure he will do a fantastic job."

Snape just sniggered and left the room. Professor Lupin walked over to a wardrobe and gestured for the students, who were grouped in the opposite corner looking around nervously, to come closer. Alex, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were the first to move, but the entire class jumped when the wardrobe jerked.

"No need to panic," Lupin said calmly, "There's a boggart in here."

Alex heard people gasp around her and back away. Neville looked around for a way to escape.

"Now, does anyone know what a boggart is?"

Hermione's hand shot up in the air, just missing Alex's ear. Alex took a few steps away from her and listened as the professor called on her.

"A boggart is a shape-shifter. It takes the shape of whatever frightens a person the most," Hermione said, "That's why no one really knows what they look like. It's different with every person who encounters it."

"Correct Miss Granger, very well said. Now, can anyone tell me why I might find a boggart in here," he patted the wardrobe and it wobbled again, "Instead of where we are standing?"

Hermione's hand shot up like lightning. Alex thought for a moment and tentatively raised hers.

"Go on Alex," Professor Lupin said with a cheerful grin.

"Well…it's because boggarts like dark and enclosed spaces," Alex said gaining confidence with each word, "Like that wardrobe, cupboards, or drawers."

"Excellent! So we have a boggart sitting in this dark, enclosed area, waiting to be let out and change into what we all fear."

"Thanks for putting all that out there, now everyone will be too scared to fight it," Ron whispered.

"I'm not," Alex whispered back, receiving a questioning look from her friends, "All right I'm a little scared…oh for Merlin's sake I'm scared to death, you all happy? Just pay attention!"

"This means," the professor was saying, "We have a great advantage over our little friend here. Do you know what that advantage is, Harry?"

"Um…" Harry said as Hermione rose on the tips of her toes with her hand in the air, "Because since everyone here has a different fear, it won't know which one to take?"

"Exactly," the professor said. Hermione lowered her hand, frowning as he continued, "The more people a boggart has to deal with, the more confused it gets.

"The spell used against a boggart is relatively simple, but you need to concentrate. Boggarts cannot take laughter so what you must do is force it to take the shape of something you find funny.

"We are now going to say the spell aloud, no wands yet. Repeat after me please, loud and clear…_Riddikulus!_"

"_Riddikulus!_" cried the class together.

"Very good, but that's only the first part you see. The word alone is useless. Neville, now it's your turn."

Neville walked forward, obviously wishing he was anywhere but where he was then.

"All right now, Neville," Professor Lupin said, "What would you say frightens you the most?"

Neville opened his mouth and said something inaudible.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that Neville," Professor Lupin said, his cheerfulness returning.

"P-Professor Snape," he whispered nervously and looked around, as though expecting the hook-nosed professor to be in the room.

Alex let out a bark of laughter along with her classmates, even Neville managed a grin. Professor Lupin chuckled and began thinking.

"Neville, you live with you grandmother, am I right?" he asked, still thinking.

"Yes sir, but I wouldn't want the boggart to turn into her either," Neville answered nervously.

"No Neville, you misunderstand me. Tell me, what does your grandmother wear?"

"Well, she has this hat, a tall one with a vulture on the top. A long, green dress, sometimes with a fox-fur scarf…um," Neville paused to think.

"Anything else?" asked the professor, "A handbag perhaps?"

"Oh right, she has a big red one!" Neville said.

"All right Neville, picture them clearly in you minds eye. You have it?" he asked Neville, who had is eyes screwed up, and nodded.

Suddenly Alex knew where this was going. A large grin spread across her face and it was all she could do to not start laughing on the spot.

"Because Neville, when the boggart comes out of the wardrobe, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. You must raise you wand up, point it at the boggart, and cry "_Riddikulus!_". If everything turns out right, the boggart Professor Snape will be forced into your grandmother's clothes."

There was a howl of laughter from the class, who all hated Snape, and the wardrobe shook more violently than ever. It was several minutes before the class was calm enough to listen to Professor Lupin.

"What will happen after that is the boggart will shift its attention to every one of us, so I ask you all to think of the thing that frightens you most of all and make it funny."

Alex thought for a moment, her mind swirling with thoughts. Before coming to Hogwarts, she might have said bees. Not that Alex had overcome that fear, she still ran away screaming when one came too close. No, it was just that after all the trials she had faced these last two years, she had more things to be afraid of. She thought of Voldemort killing all her friends and family, but then her true fear hit her like being dumped with cold water.

Alex remembered the train ride and how every time she got near one, she felt nauseous. She was terrified of those hooded dementors. Now her only problem was to make them funny. She felt movement near by and opened her eyes to see Harry shivering. She placed a hand on his arm and mouthed, "Dementors?" to him. Harry nodded and Alex mouthed, "Me too." and shrugged. Finally she decided to just make the boggart dementor trip over the hem of its long robe and fall flat on his face. It wasn't terribly funny but it was close enough.

"Everyone has their ideas?" asked Professor Lupin.

The class nodded and Alex took a few deep breaths to steady herself, pulled out her wand, and watched as Neville strode forward. He looked scared but determined as everyone put their backs against the wall and waited.

"On the count of three, Neville. One…two…three." Professor Lupin flicked his wand at the door knob and the door opened.

There was a slight pause and then a boggart Professor Snape emerged from the wardrobe, looking as malicious as the real one did. He walked over to a shaking Neville and looked down at him viciously.

"_R-Riddikulus!_" Neville cried in a high-pitched voice.

There was a loud _CRACK! _The class roared with laughter as they saw Professor Snape in a long, old-fashioned, green dress with a vulture-topped hat, and a scarlet handbag, looking wildly around at all the laughter.

"Parvati!" shouted Professor Lupin.

Parvati ran forward and Alex watched as Professor Snape changed into a dirty mummy. It started walking slowly toward her, groaning with its arms outstretched.

"_Riddikulus!_" Parvati said loudly.

The mummy tripped over one of its wrappings and fell to the ground. The class erupted with laughter.

"Seamus! Your turn!" he yelled over the noise.

Seamus came forward, looking determined. _CRACK!_ The mummy changed into a pale woman with very long, dark hair. Alex wondered what it was, but not for long as the woman opened her mouth and let out an ear piercing scream. It was a banshee.

"_Riddikulus!_" shouted Seamus quickly.

There was a rasping noise and the banshee put her hands to her throat, slowly losing her , Dean ran forward after being called and the banshee changed into a severed hand. Dean pointed his wand at the hand and cried, "_Riddikulus!_"

_SNAP!_ The hand was caught in a mousetrap. Ron's name was called next and he strode towards the hand and mousetrap, his face set. Alex watched in horror as the hand turned into the largest spider she had ever seen. As it snapped its large pinchers and bore down on the redhead, Ron bellowed, "_Riddikulus!_" and the monster's legs disappeared, rolling over to where Alex and Harry were standing. Alex had raised her wand and began preparing for the attack when Professor Lupin dashed over and put himself between the two students and the boggart.

There was another loud _CRACK!_ Alex looked around and saw a bright circle above the professor's head. She didn't get a good chance to look though because, almost instantly, he said lazily, "_Riddikulus!_" and the circle changed into a tap-dancing cockroach.

"Finish it off, Neville!"

Neville strode forward, ready to take on the boggart. He raised his wand at the boggart Professor Snape and shouted the spell. However, as the class laughed harder than ever, the boggart exploded into wisps of smoke.

"Wonderful everyone! Let's see now, five points to Gryffindor for every person who attacked the boggart, ten for Neville because he did it twice, and five to Harry, Alex, and Hermione for answering the questions correct at the beginning of the lesson. For homework, please read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me. Don't forget to get your books from the classroom and have a great rest of the day!"

Everyone was talking excitedly as the left the classroom. That is except for Harry and Alex, who were talking about why Professor Lupin cut them off from the boggart.

"Maybe he saw how we reacted on the train and thinks we can't handle them," said Harry gloomily.

"Don't say that Harry!" Alex answered, shaking her head, "That's ridiculous, why would he think we can't handle a boggart because we got a little woozy in front of those…things? You heard Dumbledore, dementors are the most foul creatures to walk our world. I think it's stupid that people think we're weak just because we react differently."

"Yeah, well, I think it's stupid that everywhere I go, I have people pointing at my forehead. But people are stupid sometimes, Alex. Look at the Slytherins, you save their Seeker from being mauled to death, and see how they treat you?"

Alex decided not to answer and went to the classroom in silence. She found Hermione and took her aside, asking her if they should go see if Professor Nellie was back and had the results. So after dinner, Alex and Hermione went to find their other table mates.

"I'll go find Ernie!" Hermione said quickly and dashed for the Hufflepuff table.

"Thanks Hermione, you're a true friend!" Alex yelled after her sarcastically and walked to the Slytherin table, right up to Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins, who were all laughing about something.

"She's probably got centaur blood in her," Pansy Parkinson was saying, fingering the necklace Malfoy had given her last year. It was a snake made out of diamonds with an emerald eye. Alex knew about it because he had first given it to her when she had taken the Polyjuice Potion.

"Or worse, werewolf blood," Malfoy sneered, "The way she was barking at that foul creature, I wouldn't be the least surprised."

"Now, now," Alex interrupted coldly, "I hope you're not talking about little old me, are you?"

The group of Slytherins all jumped and looked up at Alex. Parkinson was the first to recover. She spat at Alex's feet and snarled, "What do you want?"

"My, aren't you all so sweet? I just wanted to borrow your wounded hero over there," she nodded to Malfoy, "So we could get our results for Arithmancy. But if you all are too busy stuffing your faces, I'll leave you be."

This last comment was directed toward Crabbe and Goyle, who both were shoving every kind of food in sight into their mouthes. Sighing and making a huge deal about it, Malfoy got up and followed Alex to the Entrance Hall. Alex sat on the steps and waited for Hermione and Ernie, trying to ignore the fake groaning from the Slytherin next to her.

"I shouldn't have gotten up so fast, my arm is throbbing," Malfoy complained.

"If you don't shut up soon, I'll give your face a reason to throb," Alex finally snapped in irritation.

"Now why must you always use violence to reason with people?" he asked, though watching as Alex cracked her knuckles menacingly.

"Because that's the only way I can get through to fools like you!" she cried angrily, "You all think you're so funny with your little snide comments as I walk by, or saying I have werewolf blood in me, but it's not funny! It's mean, and childish, and just stupid! You know, it shouldn't surprise me though," she added with a grim laugh, "That pretty much sums up you and your housemates."

Malfoy stared at her, his face unreadable. Alex just shook her head and leaned against the railing. Finally, Hermione and Ernie walked in and they headed off to the Arithmancy classroom, knocking on the door when they arrived.

"Come in!" a wheezy voice called.

They entered and saw Professor Nellie sitting at his desk, looking up as the entered with a smile.

"I'm glad you all are here. Congratulations, you're the winners of our little competition! You got every question right and were the first to turn it in. Here's your prize!" Professor Nellie gave each of them a bar of Honeydukes chocolate and a slip of paper excusing them from a homework assignment.

That night, Alex climbed into bed but couldn't sleep very well. Her mind was turning over everything that had happened that day. Why did Malfoy have to drag out everything? Why did Professor Lupin not let her and Harry fight the boggart? When would everybody forget about her little animal fiasco? It wasn't until one in the morning, according to Hermione's alarm clock, that she finally was able to sleep.

_Author's Note: This is a nice long chapter for you all so let me know what you thought of it. Thank you to all who reviewed, added me to their favorites, and put me on alert. You all are absolutely fantastic. If you haven't reviewed yet, don't be shy! The review button is trained not to bite…unless you plan to write a flame. ;)_


	10. Chapter 9 Happy Halloween!

_Author's Note: Still own only Alex and unrecognizable plot points…_

Chapter 9 Happy Halloween!

By the end of September, everyone in the castle had one favorite class: Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was obvious to Alex that Professor Lupin was born to be a teacher. He could take the most boring lessons, like when they had to take notes on the chapter, and make them enjoyable. The only people who found something wrong with their new teacher were Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins.

It was the first class of the month of October. Alex and her friends were just leaving a very interesting Defense Against the Dark Arts class about Red Caps, when they heard Malfoy whispering loudly, "Can you believe the state of his robes? It looks like something you'd find in an old house-elf's garbage."

"Watch your mouth Malfoy!" Ron snapped.

"I'm sorry Weasley, did you lend it to him? No, you couldn't have, it's too good for you. Your family usually wears old Muggle clothes," Malfoy sniggered.

"Why do you care so much about clothes, Malfoy?" Alex asked with her eyebrows raised, "Who cares what he's wearing? He's the best teacher we've ever had! Look at Lockhart, he had impeccable robes and he was a horrible teacher."

"Is there a problem out here?"

Alex spun around and saw Professor Lupin in the doorway, watching them. Alex felt heat rush to her face and knew he had been listening the entire time.

"I suggest you all hurry to your next classes. Your teachers wouldn't want you to be late," Professor Lupin said calmly.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex nodded and sped off to the Common Room. When they came through the portrait hole, they found the entire Gryffindor house buzzing with excitement and all gathering around the notice board.

"Ron, you're the tallest, what's it say?" asked Harry as he tried to stand on tiptoe to read the board.

"Hold on a minute, this bloke needs to move his fat head…oh sorry Neville, didn't mean anything by that. It says there's going to be a Hogsmede trip on Halloween!" Ron said happily.

"That's wonderful!" Hermione said with a smile.

"Yeah, I bet it will be," Harry said gloomily.

"Tell us how everything is," Alex added with a frown.

"You know what I think?" Ron asked, "I think you two should go to McGonagall and ask her to sign for you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Hermione said, "I mean, with Black looking for them and everything, I think it's best that they stay here."

"Anyway," Alex added, "McGonagall wouldn't sign for us anyway. She's very law-abiding, in case you haven't noticed. I could get it signed, but my uncle's very busy with everything."

"I'll ask her," Harry said suddenly, "It can't hurt my chances. I'll ask her tomorrow since we have Transfiguration right before lunch."

"Oh Harry, don't-"

But before Hermione could finish, Crookshanks jumped onto her lap with a dead mouse in its mouth. Alex shuddered and started pulling out her books, she hated seeing that cat bring "presents" to his mistress seeing as they were all either dead or dying.

"Does he have to eat that mouse right in front of us?" Ron asked, taking Scabbers and using Harry to block him putting the rat into his bag.

"Hey, at least this one's dead," Alex said as she took notes from her Potions' book, "The last one was still breathing and I had to hear its final squeals of protest. All I ask it that his rats have no pulse when the come near me. I can't take hearing them die!"

"Was all that really necessary?" Harry asked with a small groan.

As Alex took her notes, she heard the cat talking as he ate.

_"I smell a rat,"_ he said to Alex, _"That bad one from before, he's different than the others and I don't like it one bit."_

Alex was about to tell him to be quiet and eat his rodent when she heard a low purr and Ron's yells.

"GEROFF ME, YOU STUPID CAT!" shouted Ron as he grabbed his bag and tried to put it behind him.

During the scuffle, Scabbers ran out of the bag and Crookshanks chased after him. Alex ran after the cat, shouting in its own language to stop chasing the rat and causing many in the common room to stop and watch the scene with fear or amusement. Eventually, Scabbers ran under a cabinet and out of the cat's reach.

_"No matter,"_ Crookshanks said haughtily, _"Until we meet again."_

He walked off with his tail high in the air. Ron coaxed Scabbers out and gave one final look at Hermione, who was holding a purring Crookshanks, before stalking off to the boy's staircase.

…...

As expected, Professor McGonagall did not sign Harry's permission form to go to Hogsmede. This made Ron even angrier at Hermione, although she didn't help by saying, "I told you two she wouldn't," right afterwards.

"Hermione," Alex said after the boys had left lunch, "I don't think that was the smartest thing to do. You know how much Ron hates it when you say that."

For the next few weeks, Ron and Hermione chose to ignore each other. This was quite difficult for Alex and Harry because they were caught up in the middle and tried not to choose sides. Eventually though, as Hogsmede was rapidly approaching, Ron and Hermione put aside their argument and tried to cheer their friends up.

"Don't worry you two, we'll bring you back so much food and drink that you won't have to leave the Common Room for a whole month!" Ron said as he pulled on his cloak in the Common Room

"And I'll tell you everything about the sights there," said Hermione as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, "Maybe you could work on your homework!"

"Hermione, that may be how you want to spend your free time, but I'm all right," Harry said, putting on a fake smile.

"Don't worry, you go have some fun. Harry and I will be fine," Alex said, "I should go and check on Malfoy's owl, she should've laid that egg by now."

Alex watched as Ron and Hermione left through the portrait hole and turned to Harry.

"You want to come with me?" she asked, "You can see the owl and maybe we can grab lunch?"

"Thanks Alex, but I still need to write my essay for Binns. I'll see you later."

Alex watched as Harry headed off to the library. Once he was gone, she ran up to her dormitory, grabbed her cloak, and sped toward the grounds.

As she walked around outside, she took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air and stopped, looking around her. She could hear something from the forest. Quietly, she approached the edge and listened hard. Hoof beats, a lot of them. Alex closed her eyes and she could see a herd of centaurs galloping around. A few miles away, there was a mother and baby thestral feeding.

"Wow," Alex whispered, "This is amazing, I never knew I could do _this_."

So she sat on the ground and began her investigation. Alex saw so many things, unicorns prancing around, baby rabbits poking their heads out of their burrows, and in the heart of the forest she saw a colony of the largest spiders ever.

Shivering, Alex drew her cloak more tightly around her. She had just begun wondering why it was so cold when it hit her. This wasn't normal cold, it was the depressing frigidness that came from a dementor.

Standing up quickly, Alex looked wildly around and saw not one, but two dementors gliding eerily toward her. She tried to run, but found she was frozen with fear. She tried to scream, but it died in her throat. Finally, she pulled out her wand, but didn't know what to do. Hopelessness and nausea overcame her and Alex fell to her knees and began retching uncontrollably, dropping her wand. Then the voices came, louder this time so she heard everything.

"_Get away from her, get away from my baby!_" a woman screamed.

"_Out of the way, both of you! I said stand aside you stupid girls!_" a cold, unearthly voice cried.

"_Not the children, please have mercy!_" another woman pleaded.

"_I've warned you, stand aside! Avada Kadavera!_"

Women's screams and crying babies filled Alex's ears. Somewhere far off, there was a sound of an incantation and Alex saw a bright light. Alex vomited once more and passed out.

…...

Alex opened her heavy eyelids and looked around. She was in an oversized bed and saw a fire roaring merrily. She was in Hagrid's hut.

"Hagrid?" she called, her voice no more than a whisper.

She heard the sound of paws and saw Fang waddling over.

_"Hagrid out, be back soon he says,"_ the boarhound said, _"You not well?"_

_"Not really," _Alex said with a sigh, _"The dementors came at me and I passed out. Fang, do you know what happened?"_

_"I feel cold and hear friend calling for help. I tell Hagrid to go out, but he no listen well to me. I run out by back door and Hagrid follow. We find you on ground and hooders, you say dementors, leaving. Hagrid take you back and leave to castle. Getting food for you, he said 'chocolate'."_

_"Fang, when you say friend, who are you talking about?"_ Alex asked, rubbing her throbbing forehead.

_"Met in forest, new there. Don't know name."_

Just then, Hagrid came in closely followed by Professor Dumbledore. Both were carrying armfuls of chocolate bars and looking grim.

"Alex! Thank goodness yeh all righ'!" Hagrid bellowed, forcing Alex to cover her ears.

The gamekeeper came over and, after dumping the chocolate on the bed, gave Alex a rip-snapping hug.

"Hagrid, I think Alex is losing oxygen," Dumbledore said calmly with a trace of a smile. He too put down the chocolate on the bed and looked down his crooked nose at her. "The chocolate is from Madame Pomfrey who is rather busy this morning caring to a large group of first years. She, however, gave us strict instructions to make sure you eat most of this," he nodded at the mountain of chocolate, "And not to get out of bed until you do."

Alex looked at the candy, then at the adults, and back, saying, "Only if someone helps me."

So Hagrid pulled up two stools and the three began eating. Alex told them that she had been sitting at the edge of the forest, stressing many times that she never entered it, when the dementors came at her.

"It got so cold," she said as she unwrapped her third bar, "And I looked around and saw two of them coming at me. I felt…sick and like there was nothing happy in the world. Then I heard voices, women begging for their children to be spared and a man killing them. The last thing I heard was their screaming."

Everyone was quiet. Alex finished the prescribed amount of chocolate and sat up in the bed.

"Professor Dumbledore," Alex said and the Headmaster nodded, "Why did the dementors go after me?"

"You have been through so much Alex, and the dementors can sense that. They force us to relive our worst memories. For you that is your mother's last moments, trying to protect you. Hagrid, I trust you will look after our patient?"

"Yes Professor Dumbledore."

"Good, I will send word to Madame Pomfrey that Alex has made a semi-full recovery. I must now go and have a word with the dementors about attacking innocent students."

The Headmaster's eyes were angry but he gave them a small smile and left. As soon as the door shut, Alex threw off the covers and stood up unsteadily.

"Alex," Hagrid said in a warning tone.

"I feel fine, Hagrid. You didn't expect me to stay in bed all day, did you? How's the owl?"

"I was just about to come and tell yeh. She laid the egg this mornin'! Come and have a look!"

Hagrid led Alex to the far corner of the hut and she saw a little nest made of straw and bits of cloth. There was Malfoy's owl fast asleep, but under the bird was a large, light-brown egg.

"Oh Hagrid, you did a wonderful job! She's so happy!" Alex exclaimed in a whisper and hugged her large friend.

Hagrid offered Alex some tea, but she wasn't in the mood so she said wasn't fully better. Alex bid Hagrid and Fang good-bye and made her way to the castle and up to the library. She wanted to know exactly what she was dealing with.

Alex checked out several books and found an empty classroom. She set her books on the table and heard something fall lightly to the floor. Alex bent down and saw it was the picture of her mother and friends. Seeing them all so happy made her smile as she tried to forget her mother's screams.

Placing the picture on a book, Alex opened another and began reading as she sang a familiar tune.

"_When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,  
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.  
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,  
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.  
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.  
Whisper words of wisdom, le-_"

A door creaked and Alex's head shot up. Standing in the doorway was Professor Lupin.

"P-Professor, I didn't know…I didn't see…" Alex stuttered as she gathered her books. In her haste, the picture flew away and landed at the professor's feet. He picked it up and stared at it, a frown on his face.

"Um, I'll just take that and leave sir," muttered Alex.

"Would you care to join me for a cup of tea, Alex?" Lupin asked, not looking up from the picture.

"S-Sure."

Alex followed the professor across the corridor and he opened the door for her. _No wonder he heard me_, thought Alex as she pulled up a chair nervously, _His office was right across the corridor._

She watched as Professor Lupin put water in a kettle and pointed his wand at it. Instantly, it began to steam and he poured two cups and put a tea bag in each one. He set them on the table and sat down. Alex took out her tea bag and drank it quietly.

"Doing some light reading, I see?" asked Lupin, nodding to the books beside Alex. The girl jumped at being addressed and shook her head.

"No sir, just trying to learn about them since they seem to affect me more than the others," she replied with a shrug. They fell into silence again.

"Alex, do you know who these people are?" Lupin asked as he placed the photo on the table between them.

"Some sir," said Alex quietly, very much confused, "That's my mum and aunt in the center. That's Harry's parents," She pointed to a tall boy with messy hair and glasses standing next to a short, red-haired girl, "But I don't know anyone else sir. I even asked my Uncle Monty, but he said he never met them."

"I see," Lupin said thoughtfully.

"Professor, is there something wrong?" asked Alex nervously, "Am I in trouble?"

"No, of course your not!" Professor Lupin said with a trace of laughter, "I just wanted to know if you knew who you were carrying around with you."

"Do you know who they are?" Alex asked curiously.

"I do. These two," At this he pointed to a brown-haired wizard and the only unidentified witch, "Are Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"Neville's parents?" cried Alex, "I had no idea! What about the others?"

"Let me see," Lupin muttered, squinting at the figures, "This one is Peter Pettigrew," He pointed to a chubby boy with mousy-brown hair and watery eyes, "And let's see if you can guess this one."

Alex looked at the wizard Lupin pointed to. He was standing next to Elizabeth, just a little taller than Alex's aunt. He had sandy hair, hazel eyes with dark circles underneath, and faint scars on his arms. She looked at her professor with confusion and then her eyes grew wide.

"No way," she whispered, looking from the photo to the professor with a huge grin, "That's you? You knew my mum and aunt? That's why you knew my name on the train! Did you know my dad? What were they like?"

"Yes, I knew your dad, not as well as I would have liked. Your mum was just like you: fiercely loyal to her friends, a bit of a temper that got her into trouble, and a great student when she put her mind to it. Your dad was very polite and never said a bad word against anyone, no matter what they said about him. Your aunt was…amazing." His eyes glazed over and he sighed, "She was incredibly bright, extremely modest, always reading about something, and just as loyal as her sister. She was quiet but you never wanted to get her angry; she knew enough jinxes to send you to the Hospital Wing for three weeks."

"What ever happened to her?" Alex asked slowly. She realized her Uncle Monty had never told her.

"She died in an accident," Lupin's voice caught and he cleared it, "It was a week before our wedding and the day your mother and father died."

"I'm so sorry Professor," said Alex. She wondered what kind of accident, but decided not to ask. It was obviously too painful for him to discuss.

"I guess it was better that way," he said with another sigh, "Your mother and aunt were extremely close. The death of your mum would have caused a lot of suffering for her."

They sipped their tea in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Alex decided to lighten the subject.

"How about the last one?" Alex pointed to the dark-haired wizard next to her mum, "Who is he?

There was a knock on the door and in came Snape holding a steaming goblet. Alex quickly snatched the photo and put it in her pocket, glaring at the Potions Master.

"Hello Severus," Professor Lupin said with a smile, "Alex and I were discussing grindilows."

He pointed to a tank Alex just noticed. It contained a very ugly creature with long fingers. Alex remembered reading about them; they used those fingers to strangle their prey. The way to remove them was to break their grip, for they had very brittle fingers.

"You need to drink this again Lupin. Twice a day, remember?" Snape said coldly, looking at Alex with the same coldness that was in his voice.

"Yes, thank you. Just set it on the table and I'll take it in a few minutes."

Alex watched closely as Snape placed the goblet on the table and left. She leaned forward slightly in her chair and saw a grey, bubbly mixture. She could smell it too and tried not to gag.

"What is it?" Alex inquired curiously.

"Just something Professor Snape kindly brewed for me. I've been feeling a little sick and this will help me feel my best."

"But why does Snape have to brew it for you?" Alex asked quickly as Lupin reached for the goblet.

"_Professor_ Snape, Alex, and I've never been an amazing potions brewer. This one is very complex."

Alex watched in horror as he raised the goblet to his mouth. She resisted trying to knock the goblet and instead blurted out, "Professor Snape loves the Dark Arts!" Professor Lupin stopped and she continued, "People say…they say that he'll do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"Really? Well, cheers."

Alex watched as Professor Lupin drank the entire potion. He shuddered violently and Alex thought he was dying.

"Sir?" Alex asked nervously.

He responded by shuddering again and saying, "That stuff is vile. It really is a shame that sugar makes it useless. Well Alex, your friends should be back soon so I won't keep you. Good day and enjoy the feast."

"Yeah, same to you, sir," said Alex, taking her books and left. The goblet was still smoking.

…...

Alex had just sat down at a table with Harry in the common room when Ron and Hermione arrived, looking extremely happy and cold.

"We brought back as many sweets as we could," Ron said as he placed a large bag on the table.

"And I took notes about all the historical sites," added Hermione, putting a tall pile of parchment next to the sweets. "How was your day? Did you do any work?"

"Oh, the usual," said Alex calmly, "Checked on the owl who laid her egg, got attacked by a dementor, had tea with Professor Lupin-"

"Wait a minute," Ron yelled, "Repeat those last two!"

"Got attacked by a dementor and had tea with Professor Lupin," repeated Alex and told her three friends what happened. When she told them about the dementor attack, she hadn't expected their reactions.

"What were you thinking going out by yourself?" Hermione shouted, half hysterical.

"So you can "see" animals by hearing them? Blimey Alex, that is wicked!" said Ron excitedly.

"Why are you so supportive of this?" Hermione rounded on Ron, "Do you realize the seriousness of this? She could have been hurt or expelled!"

"Expelled for what? For sitting on the grass, minding her own business?" Ron snapped.

"Alex," Hermione turned to her friend, "Black is looking for you! You shouldn't go out on your own."

"He's not going to get past the dementors," said Ron hotly.

"He did it once, what's to say he won't do it again?" said Hermione, now fully hysterical.

"GUYS!" Harry and Alex shouted together as Ron opened his mouth to retort. "Stop and listen to the rest of Alex's story," Harry said.

Alex gave Harry a grateful smile and finished her story. She finished by telling them about the smoking goblet.

"I had tea with Lupin today as well," Harry said once Alex finished, "He drank the potion then too. Do you have any idea what it could be?"

Everyone turned to Alex. Sighing, but eyes shinning with excitement, she went over the details in her mind, took out a piece of scrap parchment, and wrote them down.

"It was grey and bubbly, smelled like a cross between rotten eggs and Ron's dirty socks-"

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed.

"Well, they do reek!" Alex said with a laugh, "Must be drunk twice a day for it to work, it's extremely difficult to brew, and sugar makes it useless. I could sneak into the Restricted Section and look, but let's go to the feast first."

"You don't think it's poison?" Harry asked quietly as they left the common room.

"No," replied Alex in a whisper, "For two reasons. One, poisons are usually made to be tasteless and smell-less, and trust me that stuff was horrible. Two, Snape wouldn't try anything with Dumbledore around. He's made it pretty clear he doesn't like Lupin."

The feast was as delicious as Alex remembered. Even though Alex had a pound of chocolate before, she managed to have seconds of everything. Finally, the dishes were cleared and the Gryffindors headed toward the common room, all yawning and stumbling. However, when Alex, Ron, Hermione, and Harry reached the seventh floor corridor, there was a large crowd in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"What the…?" Alex said, trailing off, "The password's _Bubatuba_ for Merlin's sake!"

"I can't see anything from here," Ron said as he was the tallest.

Just then, Percy made his way through the crowd. There was silence and then, "Someone get Professor Dumbledore…NOW!"

A fourth year ran and came back with the Headmaster and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin. As the crowd made way for them, Alex leaned over and gasped. The Fat Lady was gone and her portrait was ripped to shreds.

"Everyone is to go to the Great Hall immediately," Dumbledore said over the eerie silence.

There was a cackle overhead and Hermione jumped next to Alex. They all looked up and saw Peeves the poltergeist floating above them.

"What is so humorous, Peeves?" the Headmaster asked.

"Oh, begging your pardon Your Headmajesty," Peeves said. He knew better than to get the Headmaster angry, "But it's nice to sit back and admire someone else's mischief."

"What do you mean?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly.

"I mean, Your Headship sir, that I wasn't the one making mischief tonight, Sirius Black was."

Alex felt her insides drop like lead and heard Hermione gasp next to her. She felt pain in her arm and looked to see Hermione grasping her arm tightly.

"You see, Headmaster sir, she refused to let him in without the password, so he attacked. What a mighty temper he's got!" Peeves said with a wicked grin, "Last I saw of her, she was running toward the portrait of Sir Brogan the Brave."

"Minerva, take these students to the Great Hall and make sure the other Heads of Houses do so. You can do the Slytherins for Severus. Severus, gather the ghosts and have them search the entire castle. Also, tell the portraits to search for the Fat Lady. Remus, I am going to need your assistance with the dementors."

Alex and her other housemates were herded to the Great Hall. Everyone was deathly silent, as if they were listening for any sign of Black.

…...

"All right everyone, lights out in ten minutes!" Percy shouted over the noise.

Alex, Harry, Ron, and Hermione each grabbed a plushy sleeping bag Dumbledore had conjured for them all and went to a corner of the Great Hall. While they pushed through the crowd, people were talking. Gryffindors were telling other houses what happened and others were voicing their theories about how Black got through all the security.

"He Apparated, I'll bet you that's how he did it!" one Hufflepuff said loudly.

"No way, he probably flew in!" a first year Ravenclaw argued.

"Actually, it's neither," Alex muttered to her friends as they laid out their sleeping bags, "No one can Apparate on school grounds and the dementors would've sensed him from the air."

"See Ron," Hermione said, "I told you he could get by the dementors again! _And_ I am not the only one who's read _Hogwarts: A History_."

They had just climbed into their bags when all the lights flickered and went out. People began scrambling around, using the light from the moon and starts above to see where they were going. A few minutes later, a group of Slytherins started a chant of, "Bring in the dementors!" but were quickly silenced by Percy.

Alex shuddered violently and asked, "You don't think they'll let them in, do you?"

"No," said Hermione instantly, "Dumbledore wouldn't do that. He doesn't like them very much."

"Who does?" Harry asked.

"Apparently the Slytherins do," said Ron darkly.

"They just know they scare the hell out of people," said Alex icily, "That's all they need to like them."

Around three in the morning, according to Harry's watch, everyone was asleep except for the four Gryffindors in the corner. Percy was patrolling the Hall when the main doors opened. Alex shut her eyes and listened as two sets of footsteps came closer and stopped right in front of her sleeping spot.

"Any luck Headmaster?" Percy asked.

"None at all, although I did not expect him to linger long."

Alex cracked open an eye and saw Percy's face shinning in the light of the stars. Next to him, with his back to Alex, was Dumbledore and on his left was Snape, his face half hidden in shadow.

"How do you think he got in, Professor?" the Head Boy asked.

"I have had ideas, but none of then would fit the situation at hand," Dumbledore said.

"Did you consider the, ah, _suggestion_ I made at the beginning of the year?" Snape asked quietly, barely opening his mouth so Alex had to strain her ears to her it, "When you hired-"

"I do not think a single member of my staff would help Black enter the school," Dumbledore said with a tone of finality.

There was an awkward pause in which Alex saw Snape's expression turn livid.

"Should I wake the students and return them to their common rooms, sir?" Percy asked Dumbledore cautiously.

"No, thank you Mr. Weasley," the Headmaster said kindly, "Try and get some rest. Good night."

Alex watched through squinted eyes as both teachers left the Hall and Percy took a sleeping bag and left to find a place. She turned to her friends and found them all wide awake. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Alex shook her head.

"Later," she whispered, "For now, let's try and sleep."

She rolled on her back and watched the stars twinkle above her. Eventually, she fell into a fitful, but deep, sleep.

_Author's Note: Ta-da! Another chapter gone. This was rather long but had a lot of useful information in it. I want to take this time to strongly suggest that anyone who hasn't read _Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale_ should do so now. As this series continues, there will be references to the book and it would be helpful to have read it. I know some of you may not be Marauder era fans, but at least give it a try. Thank you to my amazing reviewers, those who put me on alert, and those who put me in their favorites. Don't forget to review this chapter and thank you for your continual support! :D_


	11. Chapter 10 A Game to Remember

_Author's Note: No matter how many times I click my heels together and wish I were J.K Rowling, it isn't gonna happen. Stinks, I know._

Chapter 10 A Game to Remember

For the next few days, all anybody talked about was Sirius Black. She and her friends had talked about what they heard from their midnight eavesdropping. Apparently, Snape thought that Lupin was helping Black into the castle, but why?

"He's probably just blaming Professor Lupin for anything," said Alex when they talked in the privacy of their common room after the attack. Although the Fat Lady refused to return to her post, another portrait bravely took her place…even though he was rather annoying.

"Still, that's a pretty strong accusation," Hermione said worriedly, "Why would he say something like that without proof?"

"Come off it, Hermione!" cried Ron, "You don't honestly think Lupin wants Harry and Alex dead, do you?"

"He was friends with our parents," added Harry while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm just saying that Snape must have a reason as to why he thinks Professor Lupin would help Black into the castle."

Alex sighed and closed her eyes, trying to block out the bickering between Ron and Hermione. She was exhausted from her day of class. All day, she felt the teachers watching her and they all (except for Snape that is) found excuses to walk with her to the next class. When it was with Professor Lupin or Hagrid, Alex didn't mind so much because they were great to talk to. However, when Professor McGonagall walked with her and her friends, it was more like a funeral procession than a stroll to her next class.

A few days after the attack, Alex was walking down to the pitch with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team with a book under her arm one evening. She enjoyed watching the team practice while she read about dementors. Ever since the attack, Alex spent all her free time reading up on those depressing creatures and trying to find out how to fight them off.

"Ratcliff, Potter, may I have a word?" It was Professor McGonagall, striding toward the team and Alex. "Where are you going?"  
"Quidditch practice, Professor," said Harry, "Alex is coming along."

"I do not think it is a good idea for the two of you to go out alone," she said sternly, "I think I should tell you, Black-"

"-is looking for us," Harry finished.

"We heard Mr. Weasley telling Mrs. Weasley," explained Alex seeing McGonagall's confusion.

"Well then, you see why I think you two should stay inside the castle."

"But Professor McGonagall," Oliver Wood, the seventh year captain, said in outrage, "We need to train! We have a match against Slytherin in a few weeks!"

"Please Professor," Alex said, "We can't let Black ruin our lives, that's what he would want to happen."

"Not to mention," Fred added, "If we don't train with our Seeker, it'll hurt our chances of winning the Quidditch Cup."

"Very well," McGonagall said reluctantly. She, more than anyone, wanted her house to finally win the Cup. "But I will have Madame Hooch watch your practices."

So, for the next practices, Alex read while Madame Hooch watched the Gryffindor team practice. At the beginning of one practice, Alex asked Harry if she could try his broom. He said yes and at the end, Alex hopped over the barrier and practically sprinted toward Harry and his Nimbus 2000.

"Now push off lightly, this thing has a lot of power," Harry told her.

Alex nodded and kicked off, flying high up in the air. She felt wonderful and free, ready to take on anyone or anything. She took off around the stadium, diving here and flipping there. She didn't realize how long she had been up there until she looked down and saw a small crowd on the ground. She dove down and hopped off, breathless with excitement. Harry was talking to Wood, who was grinning widely.

"That was great Alex!" Angelina Johnson said, "You're a natural! Where did you learn to fly like that?"

"I didn't learn, except for flying lessons in first year. My uncle doesn't own a broom," Alex said sheepishly.

"You're a very excellent flyer," said Wood, "When I leave, there just might be a spot on this team with your name on it."

"Thanks," said Alex, handing Harry's broom back, "We should probably get inside, it looks like it's going to start pouring."

She couldn't have been more right. For the next week, it was a non-stop downpour. All the third year's Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology classes were cancelled due to the flooding. Alex used this time to practice the spell she finally found that could fight off a dementor.

It was a very complicated spell because you needed more than the words for it to work, you needed a happy memory. Alex spent hours saying the spell and using different memories she wrote down. She was practicing this spell when Wood barged into the common room, fuming.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Alex said aloud with her eyes closed tight in concentration, "_Expecto-_"

"TEAM! Huddle!" shouted Wood.

Alex's eyes snapped open and were flaming, looking for the one who broke her concentration. Wood gathered his teammates right by Alex, so she heard everything they said.

"Slytherin isn't playing against us on Saturday," the captain spat, "They say their Seeker is _still recovering_."

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm," Harry said angrily, "He's faking it to get Hagrid in trouble."

"I know," said Wood wearily, "So we're playing Hufflepuff, who play a totally different game."

"Don't worry Wood," Katie Bell said encouragingly, "It's Thursday, we'll be fine."

"No, this is how I thought you'd take it! We need to train harder that ever! Be back here at seven, ready for a tough practice!"

He stomped off and Harry sat next to Alex, shaking his head.

"Sometimes he scares the heck out of me," he said as he pulled out his homework.

"He's just annoyed," Alex said as she pulled out the books she didn't need and put her bag over her shoulder, "I've got to get to Arithmancy, see you at seven."

"You're coming?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows, "It's absolutely dreadful out. _I_ don't even want to go to practice."

"It gives me an excuse to be outside without McGonagall breathing down my neck," said Alex as she went to the portrait hole, "It's only rain, I love the rain."

She waved and went to her class. She was the second to arrive and rolled her eyes. Malfoy's arm was still wrapped up and in a sling, making the arm entirely useless.

"You should be on Broadway," Alex said coldly as she sat down.

"On what?" Malfoy asked confusedly.

"It's a place in New York that's famous for its plays," explained Alex impatiently, "You'd be a perfect actor and a great coward."

"What are you saying?"

"You don't want to play against us in the match on Saturday because it's drizzling outside!" At this, there was a clap of thunder that made the tables rattle.

"Oh yes, just a light rainfall," Malfoy chortled.

"Well it won't matter because we'll still kick your slimly Slytherin-"

Just then the rest of the class came in. Hermione and Ernie sat down at their table and class began.

Very late that night, Alex and Harry came in soaked through and went straight to bed. The next morning, Alex fell asleep in her cereal. Ron had to shake her for a whole minute before she jerked awake.

"Who dat?" she said, looking wildly around as she wiped bits of Cheerios off her face.

"You fell asleep," Hermione said, "Because you went to bed so late last night. I told you not to go to that practice, you're not even on the team."

Wood came up then and began talking to Harry about tactics. This was only the beginning, however. All day, whenever Alex was with Harry, Wood was giving him pointers. She could tell Harry appreciated the extra help, but was getting annoyed with being talked to all the time.

Alex was walking by herself from Arithmancy to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione had run off without her and she avoided running into teachers because she wanted the time for herself. She turned the corner and saw a blonde-haired girl lying on the floor.

"Hey, you okay?" Alex said, running toward her. Alex turned the girl over and saw it was Katie Bell, her eyes closed. "Katie, wake up Katie! Oh crap, I need to get you to the Hospital Wing."

She tried to pick the Gryffindor Chaser up, but she was too heavy. Alex bent down and felt for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt one.

"What happened?" Fred's voice came, making Alex look up and see both Weasley twins dashing to her and Katie.

"I found her like this. I can't wake her and she's too heavy for me to carry her to the Hospital Wing," Alex explained.

Fred bent over his teammate and got her to a standing position. He and George took an arm and carried her, Alex leading the way. They reached the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey looked Katie over.

"She's been hit by a curse, none of you saw what it was?" the matron asked. Alex shook her head and the older woman sighed, "Then it will take two to three says to heal her."

"But Madame Pomfrey," George said, "We have a match Saturday morning!"

"There's nothing I can do, I'll try my best but I'm sorry. I'll write you three a pass, you're ten minutes late for class."

The three Gryffindors left the Hospital Wing in low spirits. Fred and George nodded and went left while Alex sprinted right. She knew Professor Lupin wouldn't mind her being late with a pass, but they were going to start a new creature today and she didn't want to miss it. As she raced toward the doors, she saw Harry running too.

"Wood," he said and Alex nodded in understanding. Wood had kept Harry late with his talking.

"I'll tell you my excuse later, but it's not looking good for you guys on Saturday." Alex said and burst through the door saying, "Sorry Professor Lupin, I had to-"

The teacher at the front of the class was not Lupin, but Snape. Alex stopped and looked around the class, every face ranging from confusion to suspicion. She handed Snape her pass and sat down next to Hermione and behind Ron and Harry.

"Five points each from Gryffindor," said Snape with an evil smile.

"I had a pass!" Alex exclaimed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for talking out of turn. You and Potter disturbed my class, Miss Ratcliff. Now, as I was saying, Professor Lupin is sick today and I will be covering for him."

Ron snuck a look behind him towards the girls that read, "Bet you ten to one he poisoned him."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley turn around. You can talk to your girlfriends after class. Professor Lupin has not left any record of what you have completed, so I'd like to start with," he turned to the back of the book, "Werewolves."

"But sir," Hermione said, "We just finished kappas and hinkeypunks."

"Another five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for interrupting me. Now, who can tell me how to spot the difference between a fully transformed werewolf and a regular wolf?"

Hermione was the only one to raise her hand. Alex crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, glaring daggers at Snape. How were they supposed to know that off the top of their heads? Alex _had_ read about werewolves, but during the summer. She just had a good memory.

"No one? This is a disappointment," said Snape, his lip curling.

"Please sir," Hermione blurted, "A werewolf's snout is-"

"I believe I didn't call on you Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Alex slammed her quill on the desk and made to stand up, but a red-faced Hermione held her back.

"Let me at him and I'll curse him where the sun doesn't shine," Alex whispered angrily.

"Why did you ask the question if you didn't want an answer?" Ron asked furiously.

The class, who had been muttering, went as silent as death. Snape's face went white with anger.

"Detention Weasley. Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four and begin outlining…NOW!"

The only sounds were that of quills scratching on parchment, pages turning, and Snape brutally commenting Lupin's and the students' work. When he came to Alex, he was merciless.

"Professor Lupin gave you full credit for this? I wouldn't have given it even half credit!"

"But Professor Lupin teaches this class, not you sir," Alex said quietly so only Snape could hear as she shook with anger. She didn't care that she received detention for that night at seven thirty.

When the bell rang, Snape told them they had to write a three foot essay on the lunar cycle and werewolves. Ron was held back to discuss his detention. Alex stormed out of the room and, once the door was closed and Ron came out, began cursing Snape.

"That and more, Alex," said Ron heatedly, "He's making me clean all the bedpans in the Hospital Wing…without magic!"

"Oh Harry, be sure you're nowhere near Wood when he finds out about Katie," Alex said as she remembered why she was late in the first place.

"What happened to Katie?" Harry asked hurriedly.

"She was attacked by someone and won't be able to play in the match," Alex said gloomily, "I found her when I was going to class, that's why I was late."

"Oh no," Harry groaned, "Wood'll be ready to commit suicide."

Wood found out by George and didn't try to kill himself, but was pale and in a trance-like state all day. That night, he gathered his teammates and gave them a pep talk, without any pep. Alex stopped by as she went to her detention.

"I'm really sorry guys," she said sadly, "You've been working so hard in your practices, I thought you'd win for sure. Bye Harry, I'm off to the Potion's lair."

She had just closed the portrait and was walking when she heard a stampede of feet and voices screaming her name. She turned and saw the Gryffindor team running after her.

"Alex…would you be willing…to play with us…tomorrow?" Harry asked as he caught his breath.

"You're joking," Alex laughed. Seeing no one else was doing the same, she continued, "I'm not on the team, I don't have a broom or robes, and I've never played a game in my life. You can't be serious!"

"You're right, we're not mass murderers," George said with a smile.

"We can lend you Katie's robes and broom," Alicia Spinnet suggested, throwing George a look and shaking her head at his joke, "We'll have to shrink them a little in the arms."

"And she rides a Nimbus 2000, just like Harry," Fred said, "We can say you're our relief Chaser."

"But I-"

"Please Alex," Wood said almost pleadingly, "I couldn't stand having to forfeit. Do it for us, for your fellow housemates."

She bit her lip and nodded. The team let out cheers and Wood actually hugged Alex. They agreed to meet on the pitch at eight forty-five so Alex could still do her detention. Remembering her detention, she sprinted off to the dungeons and arrived in Snape's office just in time. Snape didn't even acknowledge her until she cleared her throat loudly.

"Your detention is to clean those two cauldrons without magic," said Snape in a bored voice.

Alex nodded and thought it could have been worse. Since her uncle was always busy at work, Alex did all the cleaning around the mansion. She was very used to scrubbing and bending.

She took a sponge and a bucket, filling it with soap and water. The cauldrons came up to Alex's hip and were very wide. She sighed and got to work. Whatever the potion that was in the cauldrons before left a slimy residue and an awful odor. When Alex finally finished, she was tired, sore, and light-headed from the smell. She cleaned out her bucket and sponge and set it on the floor by Snape's desk.

"I finished sir," said Alex, checking her watch and seeing it was eight forty. She still had time to go to the common room and get her cloak before practice. When he didn't answer, Alex went to leave.

"I don't think I said you could go, Miss Ratcliff. Sit down," Snape said, gesturing to a hard wooden chair.

Restraining the urge to groan, Alex sat down and fiddled with her locket impatiently.

"Have you given any thought on what the Headmaster mentioned last year?" Snape asked.

Alex thought back to when she had been in Dumbledore's office, thinking she was going to be expelled when he offered to teach her advanced magic. She hadn't had much time to consider it.

"A little sir," she answered slowly, "What kind of stuff would Professor Dumbledore teach me?"

"Advanced level verbal and non-verbal spells. However, I will be teaching you. The Headmaster is much too busy to teach you."

"No."

"No what?"

"I don't want to do it," Alex said, "I can learn those by myself." She didn't mention she couldn't stand having to spend more time with Snape than necessary.

"This is an opportunity that most students would be begging to have," Snape said coldly.

"Then offer it to them," Alex said, standing up, "I believe I've finished my detention, professor. Am I free to go?"

"You're just like your mother," Snape spat, "You are given a once in a lifetime opportunity and you turn your nose up at it."

"Do _not_ say that about my mother," said Alex furiously, "Just because you didn't like her doesn't mean you need to take it out on me! I'm not her, no matter how much I look like her!"

"Prove yourself, be a Gryffindor and don't be a coward!" said Snape with a sneer.

"I don't have to prove myself to you. Good evening, sir."

Alex reached for the door when it happened. Images flashed before her eyes: her first time on a horse; her grandparents' shocked, dead faces; the Sorting Hat on the stool; Fluffy; the Basilisk's eye in the mirror; Buckbeak. All of this with her mother's screams in the background. Then it was like a large metal door slammed shut and the flow of images stopped. Alex pulled out her wand and shouted, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Snape's arms and legs snapped together and he fell to the ground. Alex stepped over him and ran to the pitch without her cloak.

…...

It was almost midnight when the team plus Alex climbed into their beds. She tossed and turned and slept fitfully. Alex woke with a start, thinking she missed the match. She looked at the clock and sighed with relief and annoyance. It was five o' clock on a Saturday. Usually Alex didn't wake up until nine on weekends. Quietly, Alex crept into the bathroom and got ready, pushing her hair out of her face and pulling on her Quidditch robes. She stared at herself in the mirror, listening to the rain come down and felt sick to her stomach.

"Oh Merlin," Alex said as she sat on the toilet seat, "What am I getting myself into?"

She left the bathroom, picked up her sketchbook, and pulled the curtains around her bed closed. Alex flipped to her first drawing and stared at it. Professor Lupin was sleeping peacefully on a chair in the glow of the moonlight. She took her pencil, her preferred drawing tool, and fixed the shading. She did this until she heard her roommates stirring, and them she left the dormitory and went to the Great Hall.

The rest of the team was eating when Alex came and sat with Harry and the Weasley twins. She now knew how Harry felt when he had his first match two years ago.

"First game nerves?" George asked as a flash of lightning lit up the hall. Alex nodded, fearing she'd vomit over the food if she opened her mouth.

"Relax Alex," Alicia said gently, "You were great in practice last night."

"And it's Hufflepuff," said Fred, "Not exactly the Bulgarians were playing."

"I mean, really? What exactly _is_ a Hufflepuff anyway?" George asked in an attempt to cheer Alex up.

Still, Alex's usually tan face was pale and she only nibbled on a piece of toast. She didn't feel any better when Malfoy saw her in the Gryffindor team robes and shouted, "Hey Ratcliff! Fly near us and you can be our lightning rod!" She didn't even make a nasty retort.

Ron and Hermione came to wish Alex luck as she left the castle. Hermione gave handed her a worn-out photograph saying, "You don't need to worry, Quidditch is in your blood. I found this in the library."

Alex looked at it and saw that it was a photo of an old Quidditch team. She looked closer and saw her mother with a beater's bat in hand, waving with the other. She also saw Harry's dad and the dark-haired wizard she had seen in other photos. Alex hugged her best friend and ran after the rest of the team, feeling better than she had before.

In the changing room, Angelina and Alicia fixed Katie' robes to fit Alex's tall, skinny frame. She took Katie's broom with shaking hands and went to the locker room where the boys were waiting for them. Usually, Wood would give a pre-game talk, but he tried several times and couldn't form words. Alex heard the sound of hundreds of hands clapping and the team filed out. Just before they were outside Alex stopped, frozen with the sudden realization of what she was doing.

"Come on there," Fred said as he led her into the rain.

"We'll make sure the Bludgers don't hit you," George shouted over the howling winds and pouring rain.

Alex put her hand in the inside pocket of her robes and felt her wand and locket. Gritting her teeth, she kicked off the ground and flew around the stadium with her team, just barely hearing Lee Jordan's commentary.

"AND THERE'S THE GLORIOUS GRYFFINDORS! WOOD, JOHNSON, SPINET, WEASLEY, WEASLEY, POTTER, AND, THE NEW RELIEF CHASER, RATCLIFF! I'M SURE ALL THE GRYFFINDORS ARE HOPING KATIE BELL GETS BETTER SOON, BUT I'M TOLD RATCLIFF IS AN EXCELLENT FLYER! MAKE SOME NOISE FOR HER!"

The entire stadium roared with applause and cheers from the crowd of red and gold. Alex smiled and did a flip, resulting in more cheers.

"AND THE OTHER TEAM, GIVE IT UP FOR THE HONEST HUFFLEPUFFS! DIGGORY-"

But Alex didn't hear the rest because of a loud, long thunder roll. However, she saw Madame Hooch in the center of the field. Alex glided over and watched as the Snitch and Bludgers were released. Then the moment came, Madame Hooch threw up the Quaffle and Alex shot like a bullet at it, grabbing it first and passing it to Angelina, who shot it back and Alex sped to the goal post, dodging players and Bludgers. The Keeper flew up to meet her, but Alex was grinning mischievously. She got into a standing position on her broom, jumped over the shocked Keeper, scored the goal, and landed on her broom and sped away, slipping a little as she did.

"Careful Alex!" Harry shouted over the cheers.

"Careful's my middle name!" she yelled back and punched the air.

"WOW!" Lee's voice came as the crowd went nuts, "DID YOU SEE THAT? WHAT A NATURAL! GRYFFINDOR IS AHEAD BY TEN! WAY TO GO ALEX!"

The game continued for another ten minutes, Hufflepuff scoring three more times, and then Wood called a timeout. As Alex went down, she saw a large black dog at the top of the stands.

"Orion?" she whispered.

"Come on Alex!" Wood shouted under a cover and Alex quickly joined her teammates, "We're doing all right, but were still losing by twenty points. Harry, try to catch that Snitch soon so we can get out of this weather. I almost got fried during that last lightning strike.

"I can't see anything in this rain," said Harry as he wiped his glasses.

"I think I can help."

They looked and saw Hermione in a poncho and soaking. She took Harry's glasses and tapped her wand against them saying, "_Impervius!_"

"There Harry, that should help. It repels water," Hermione said, handing back the glasses. Alex grinned widely and watched as Hermione left.

"All right team, let's go," Wood said with a maniac gleam in his eyes, "And try not to kill yourself, Alex. We don't have a relief Chaser for our relief Chaser."

"Don't worry Oliver," she said, "You just concentrate on not becoming the human barbeque."

They went out onto the field and Alex looked in the top row. The dog was gone, but she could have sworn the big dog was her Orion.

_That's impossible,_ she thought, shaking her head to clear her thoughts and rainwater, _Orion's at home with Uncle Monty._

The game continued and the Hufflepuff Beaters came in with a vengeance. They seemed to target Alex the most, forcing her to dive away and miss passes and shots.

Alex just scored a goal and was flying toward the center when the crowd's noise died. Then Alex felt cold and lonely and she looked down, gasping. At least twenty dementors were on the ground, looking up at her. She dove closer to the ground and pulled out her wand. She thought about seeing Hogwarts for the first time.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" she cried.

A shinny mist came from her wand and disappeared quickly. Alex felt all hope draining and then she heard a man's voice.

"_Alana, get out of here with Alex! Go now!_"

"_You can't do this, David!_" Alex heard her mother saying, "_You can't fight him!_"

"_There's no time! Just go, Alana. Take Alex and get out!_"

There was the sound of feet running and a loud bang, and then the worst sound in the world for Alex.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" a high, cold voice said and laughed.

"No," Alex whispered as she wiped tears from her eyes, "Think of a happy memory."

She thought of when Orion and she danced at the studio together. Letting the happiness fill her up, she pointed her wand and shouted, "_Expecto Patronum!_"

A bright light came out of her wand and a four-legged animal formed and charged at the dementors. Before Alex could see what it was, the world went dark.

_Author's Note: Another chapter completed! Did you know that we are more than half way done this story? There are nineteen chapters. Don't worry, a lot happens between now and then. So what did you think? Did you enjoy Alex's chance to play Quidditch? How about my AVPM reference? I hope you all caught on to that if you've seen the musical. ;)_

_Thank you to all who reviewed, added me to their favorites, and put me on alert. You guys are amazing and deserve to be recognized for it. If you haven't reviewed, don't be shy! I love hearing from my readers. Let me know what you thought of this! :D_


	12. Chapter 11 New Things Are Learned

_Author's Note: You know, writing disclaimers may suck but it's a whole lot better than getting sued. So here I am telling you that I own nothing you recognize. Now the stuff you don't know from the _Harry Potter_ series, that's all mine…hehe!_

Chapter 11 New Things Are Learned

Alex opened her eyes tentatively and looked around. She was in a Hospital Wing bed with a crowd of people gathered around her and another bed. Turning her head, she saw Harry with his eyes closed.

"She's awake!" Ron said with a look of relief on his face.

"How do you feel?" Angelina asked.

"I'm-ouch!" Alex gasped as she sat up. The whole left side of her was sore and covered in colorful bruises. "Well, I'm fine except for my left side. Good thing I'm right-handed."

"You fell from eight feet in the air," George said, shaking water from his eyes. Alex noticed that every person looked as though they had taken a shower with their clothes still on.

"Yeah and just before you fell, this silver fox came out of your wand," said Fred.

"It wasn't a fox," George argued, "It was a wolf!"

"Anyway," Alicia cut in, "It was just after you fell that the silver thing vanished and then Harry fell too. Dumbledore helped him land softly, since he was higher up than you, and forced the dementors off the field."

"It was scary," Hermione said, sitting on Alex's bed and hugging her gently, "I've never seen him that mad."

"What happened to the match? Are we going to reschedule it?" Alex asked.

"No, we finished it," George said grimly.

Just then, Harry groaned and sat up. He saw Alex in the bed next to him and raised a bandaged hand. "Hey Alex."

"Hey Harry, how are you feeling?"

"Sore all over, you?"

"Just my left side is sore, but I fell from eight feet in the air. What about you?"

"I was going for the Snitch and I fell, must've been a hundred feet. Did we win the match?" Harry asked, looking around at his housemates. Alex looked too and saw everyone's relieved expressions fade to sadness at the question.

"Diggory caught the Snitch after you fell," Alicia said gently.

"He tried to call it off when he saw what happened but he won, fair and square," Angelina said.

Alex and Harry stared, completely stunned. Alex closed her eyes and leaned back, groaning quietly. She couldn't believe after everything she and Harry had been through, they still lost the match. But the bad news didn't end there.

"Where're our brooms?" asked Harry, his voice muffled slightly because he put his head on his knees.

"Katie's stayed in the air because it wasn't as high up," Ron said slowly, "But Harry, yours was so high up and it was very windy, and it, um…"

"Oh Harry, it hit the Whomping Willow," Hermione said, holding up a blanket with splinters of wood in it. Alex remembered Harry and Ron telling her about the tree last year. It would attack anything that got near enough.

Madame Pomfrey came over and told everyone to leave. Just before the twins left, Alex called them back.

"How upset is Wood?" she asked.

"Pretty upset," replied George.

"But not with you two," Fred said quickly, seeing Harry and Alex's faces, "Just at our luck. He said you both did wonderful jobs. No, you were bloody brilliant! That was a great match. Try and rest, you look like two people about to keel over."

They left and Alex laid her head down. She ate the chocolate the matron gave her and thought that if she ate another piece she'd pop. Suddenly, Alex remembered what she had heard this time when the dementors came, her father's murder. Rage filled Alex up and she stopped eating.

"Why does this always happen?" she spat angrily.

"What always happens?" Harry asked, confused by this sudden outburst.

"Every time something good happens to us, Voldemort comes along and ruins it!" Alex said, putting down her chocolate, "He's the reason we're here, he's the reason why the dementors affect us more so than the others!"

"We'll get though this Alex," said Harry supportively, "We always do."

"He killed my father, a Muggle who couldn't have defeated himself if he tried," choked Alex, wiping her eyes furiously, "My father died to give me and my mum a chance."

"And we'll make them proud," said Harry.

Alex nodded with a smile and finished her chocolate, then fell asleep.

…...

"Are you sure you want to do this, Alex?"

"Of course I am, Hermione. I spent all day yesterday in the Hospital Wing and I need to do my work."

Alex and Hermione were taking up two tables with their books and papers. It was Sunday morning and Alex had just been released from the Hospital Wing. Hermione said she would help Alex finish the Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.

"Hey look here," Alex said, "It says, 'There is no cure for lycanthropy but, in the last fifteen years, potions have been discovered to help the infected keep their mind during the transformation. The most well-known of these is wolfsbane, a vile drink that takes two months to brew and is taken twice a day.' Looks like Lockhart _was_ lying again last year."

"Very interesting," Hermione said distractedly as she flipped through her notes and looked at Alex's first draft, "You misspelled lycanthropy…twice."

"There was a full moon on Friday, cow tipping night."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, finally paying attention as she frowned.

"Back in Montana," explained Alex, "We had a neighbor who raised cows. Every Friday night that had a full moon was cow tipping night for the local teenagers. They would dress in black and try and tip all the cows in town before the sun came up. I don't know what they found fun about it, but they all seemed to enjoy it.

"One time, a group of them were stone drunk and came to our house instead. We raised horses and they couldn't tell the difference. Poppy, my grandfather, came out in his pajamas with a shotgun and they tried to run for it. Now, these people were so drunk that they were tripping over each other and not making much progress. My Poppy caught them and Grammy, my grandmother, gave them a good thrashing."

Alex chuckled at the memory but Hermione looked appalled.

"Did your grandmother get in trouble?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Are you joking?" Alex laughed, "Everyone was afraid _they'd_ get thrashed if they pressed charges."

Hermione smiled at this and they finished the werewolf essay, leaving to hand it in to Snape. Alex tried to get Hermione to do it for her, seeing as their last meeting wasn't so great, but Hermione didn't want to go alone. They reached the entrance of the library and saw Professor Lupin walk by the door, not even noticing them. Once he was gone, Alex let out a soft whistle and shook her head.

"Man, he looks terrible. Just when I thought he was getting better, he does a complete turn around."

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes went wide and she ran back to where they had come from, Alex following.

"Hey, where are you going? I thought we were finished in here!" Alex asked.

Hermione ignored her and banged her bag on the table, taking out her notes, muttering to herself as she did, "A full moon on Friday…not in class… vile potions…pale…scars." She turned to Alex and said, "Do you still have those notes on the potion Professor Lupin drank?"

"Yeah, hold on," Alex rummaged through her bag and pulled it out, "Right here. Hermione, what's going on? You look so nervous."

"Bear with me Alex," said Hermione in a shaky voice, "I have a hunch, and I hope to Merlin I'm wrong. Find a book on advanced potions and bring it here."

Alex nodded and went to the potions section. Pulling down several, she laid them on the table and Hermione skimmed through each one. Finally she found what she was looking for. Her eyes flashed across the page and she looked totally in shock.

"Read the last paragraph aloud, softly so only we can hear," she whispered.

Alex took the book and read it in a soft voice.

"Wolfsbane is a potion used to help a human bitten by a werewolf during the transformation process. This very complicated potion takes two months to brew and has a horrible odor and taste, looking like a grey, bubbly mixture when brewed correctly. It must be taken twice a day during the week prior to the full moon for it to be fully affective and sugar makes it entirely useless. The cauldron must be washed thoroughly after use for it leaves a residue that gives off a smell that makes anyone nearby weaker in both mind and body."

Alex was silent as she read it over and over again. She even looked in another book and read about wolfsbane. Finally she took the books back and sat in a chair, staring off.

"It makes sense, all of it," said Alex quietly and trance-like, "He's gone the day of a full moon or looks like crap when he _is_ in class, the potion is exactly like wolfsbane, and his patronus. Remember it was an orb? I think it was a full moon instead. And I bet those cauldrons Snape made me clean were from when he made the potion!"

"What should we do?" Hermione asked, practically shaking all over, "Should we tell someone?"

"The staff must know," said Alex, coming out of her trance, "That's why Snape's making the potion. And if we tell any of the students, they'll tell their parents and force Professor Lupin to leave."

"But maybe he should go. I mean," added Hermione quickly when Alex's head snapped toward her, "What if he missed a potion and bit a student?"

"Hermione," Alex said in forced calm, "Does Professor Lupin seem like the kind of person who would do that?"

"No, you're right. But what if-?"

"Hermione!" Alex snapped, "Professor Lupin is the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had! So what if he's different? I can't imagine him as anything like we see in horror movies."

Hermione nodded and said, "Should we tell him what we know?"

"I don't think so," Alex sighed, "The less we say, the better. It'll be just between us."

"What about Harry and Ron?"

"Ron's been raised to think werewolves are not only evil, but real threats to society," said Alex, "And Harry can't keep a secret if his life depended on it so he'll end up telling Ron. They're so close, just like us."

So then and there, Alex and Hermione made a promise not to say a word about their teacher's "little problem" as Alex said good-naturedly. By this time, it was too late to turn in the paper so the two girls went back to the common room and saw Harry and Ron. Ron had Scabbers in his hands and was trying to feed him the rat tonic.

"Maybe I can help," Alex offered and Ron handed the flailing Scabbers over, "Come on buddy, this'll make you feel better."

Scabbers flailed even harder and tried to bite Alex's fingers. Finally, Alex shoved the tonic into the rat's throat and handed both back.

"He doesn't talk to me," she commented, "When he squeals, I can't understand him."

A tap on the window made the four Gryffindors jump. Alex had to look hard to see her ebony owl sitting outside. She got up and opened the window, taking the letter from his beak.

_"From your uncle,"_ Monty said.

_"How is he?"_

_"Tired looking, this case is taking a lot out of him. He said it was important so I flew as fast as I could, I'm beat."_

_"You better stay with me tonight,"_ said Alex and opened the letter.

_Dear Alex,_

_The case is coming along and I think we have a chance. Unfortunately, I have something grave to share. Orion ran away the end of September. I did not write sooner because we were hoping to find him, but it's been almost two months. I am so sorry to tell you this because I know how much you loved him. Keep up good sprits, there is always a chance he will come back._

_Write to me soon,_

_Best wishes and love,_

_Uncle Monty_

"What is it, Alex?" Harry asked.

"My dog ran away," Alex said, staring off into another world, "I can't believe it."

"You had a dog?" Ron asked and received a hard glare from Hermione.

"I rescued him this summer," explained Alex in a hollow voice, "I thought he liked it with us, we had so much fun together. But I guess this explains why I saw him in the stands."

"You saw a dog in the stands?" Harry asked.

"Or at least, it looked a hell of a lot like him. I need to go to bed, see you all tomorrow."

She walked up to her dormitory and sat on her bed. After a moment, she pulled out her sketchbook and flipped to her drawing of Professor Lupin in the moonlight. Chuckling at the dark irony of this picture, she shut the book and placed it in her trunk. No one could see what she had drawn, in case it helped stimulate the idea that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. Sighing, Alex got ready for bed and fell asleep. That night, she dreamed of a big, black dog bounding toward her but never getting closer, no matter how loud she called to him.

"Alex, wake up!"

Alex jumped and fell off and onto the floor. All the girls were in their pajamas and staring at her.

"What? Was I snoring? Because I swear you all are just hearing yourselves," Alex said as she got up and stretched.

"No, and _I _don't snore," Maggie said snootily. Maggie was short with blonde hair and dull blue eyes. She wanted to be in Slytherin but was instead put in Gryffindor. Because of this, she was always very nasty to her roommates.

"Yeah, you just breathe so loudly that you break the sound barrier," Lavender muttered.

"You were twitching in your sleep," Hermione told her in a whisper as everyone else started getting ready, "And muttering a lot."

Alex didn't answer and got ready for class.

…...

Alex, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were going to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom last period and stopped outside the door.

"I refuse to go in there if Snape's teaching again," Ron said as he pulled his bag higher on his shoulder.

Alex went over and opened the door a crack. She looked in and saw a very sickly- looking Professor Lupin, but Lupin none the less. Grinning triumphantly, Alex opened the door all the way.

"It's all right," she said happily, "He's here!"

The rest of the class heard this and ran in cheering. Then came the questions.

"Professor Lupin, do we really have to do the essay?"

"Why did Professor Snape make us do a three foot essay about something we never covered?"

"Are you going to leave again? If you do, we'll gladly take Binns instead of Snape."

"Wait a moment," Professor Lupin said and looked confused, "What essay did Professor Snape assign you?"

"A three foot essay on werewolves and the lunar cycle," Parvati told him.

"No, you don't need to do the essay," Lupin said, "I'll talk to Professor Snape about it."

"Are you feeling better, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, thank you, Hermione. Now, everyone take a seat and let's start the lesson."

Everyone realized, and Alex knew fully well, that Snape had no chance at this job while Lupin was around. After an amazing lesson, the bell rang and Professor Lupin told them they had no homework from him.

"I think you all suffered enough. Alex, could I have a word with you please?"

"Go on you guys," Alex told the others, "I'll meet you in the common room later."

Harry and Ron nodded and left. Hermione hesitated and hugged Alex as though she would never see her again. When the door closed, Alex sat on the desk in front of Lupin's desk and cocked her head.

"Is something the matter, sir?" she asked.

"Professor Snape told me about your detention and why you got it," the professor said seriously.

"Oh," said Alex, frowning.

"Oh indeed. Alex, you can't disrespect a teacher, no matter how annoying they may be. And you most certainly can't jinx them. Do you know you could be expelled for that?"

"Not if it was self-defense, sir," Alex returned, "And I realize I was disrespectful, but so was he. He called Hermione "an insufferable know-it-all", which is sometimes true and everyone knows it. But he shouldn't have said that in front of everyone."

Then Lupin did the most unexpected thing: he laughed. It started as a chuckle and turned into a full out laugh.

"Sir? Professor Lupin, are you all right?" Alex asked, concerned for his sanity.

"Yes Alex," he said as he calmed down, still chuckling, "You just sound exactly like your mother."

"Sometimes I wonder if that's a good thing," said Alex, "The only reason Snape hates my guts is because I'm so much like my mother. He…He did something, something that I've never seen before."

"What happened?" Lupin asked, suddenly becoming stern.

"No, nothing like that!" said Alex, sensing what Lupin was thinking and shuddering at the thought, "It was like he opened my mind and pulled out memories for me to relive. I saw my grandparents' dead faces and heard my mother screaming, just like when the dementors get near me. At the match, I heard my dad," Alex paused and took a deep breath, "He told my mum to take me and leave, knowing he'd never see either of us again. I tried to fight them but when I fainted, my patronus died too."

"I'll talk to Professor Snape. What he did was wrong and I'll make sure it never happens again. As for the dementors, I could teach you how to fight them, as well as other spells that could be useful."

"Really? Professor Lupin, you have no idea how happy you've just made me," Alex said with a huge smile, "Thank you so much!"

"I'll see you Friday after dinner then?" Lupin said with a small smile.

"You bet! Thank you Professor Lupin and get better soon, you still look a bit peaky."

Alex ran all the way to the common room and sat with Harry and Ron.

"Everything all right?" Ron asked.

"Great, I'm not in trouble," said Alex, "Where's Hermione?"

"Doing her homework over there where there's room," Harry pointed to a large pile of books and Alex could just see Hermione's bushy hair.

Alex finished her homework and helped Ron and Harry. She then said good-night and fell asleep with a smile.

_Author's Note: Hello readers! How did you like the chapter? I know that the POA book never mentions how Hermione found about Lupin being a werewolf so I thought I would fill in that gap. What did you all think of it? Did you like how each girl reacted? If you read _Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale_, you might remember how Elizabeth reacted when someone was nasty to werewolves. Since Alex is her niece and her mother felt the same way as her sister, I thought it only proper for Alex to agree with them. _

_Speaking of my prequel, if you haven't read it yet I would __**HIGHLY**__ suggest doing so before you finish this story. You may still understand what's going on if you don't, but it will make a lot more sense if you do. :)_

_Now for the next chapter update. Don't worry, it will still be done in a timely fashion but I thought I would give you a few tidbits since you all have been so supportive with this story. The next chapter will contain a birth, a story of death, and Alex will learn some new and startling information. That's all I'm gonna say on that. Hope that helps get you all excited for the next update! :D_

_As always, many thanks to my reviewers, alert-ers, and favorite-ers. You all rock and brighten my day! If you haven't reviewed, I would love to hear from you so please take the time to review. As _Aileen Autarkeia_ can tell you, the review button is well trained not to bite. ;)_


	13. Chapter 12 The Worst Hogsmede Trip Ever

_Author's Note: I only own Alex and the stuff you don't recognize. This chapter will definitely have stuff you don't recognize from the original canon so enjoy!_

Chapter 12 The Worst Hogsmede Trip Ever

Before Alex knew it, it was the middle of December and the Christmas decorations were up. It was a snowy Saturday morning and Alex was eating porridge when an unfamiliar owl landed with a letter in its beak. Alex took the letter and read the two words aloud.

"It's time," she said.

"Time for what?" Ron asked with a mouthful of bacon.

"Oh Merlin, oh Merlin!" Alex exclaimed and ran out of the Great Hall. Then, she spun around and sped to the Slytherin table where Malfoy was showing the microscopic scar from where Buckbeak had attacked them.

"See, right here," he was saying when Alex grabbed his outstretched arm and dragged him away.

"Get your cloak and meet me here in two minutes," Alex commanded.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?"

"Do what I say or you'll have a real scar to show off."

Two minutes later, Alex tore down the steps, jumping the last four. Malfoy was there, putting his scarf around his neck.

"There you are, what-?" Alex ignored him and grabbed his wrist, running outside.

"I'm showing you the miracle of life," Alex called over her shoulder as she raced across the grounds.

"What?"

"Your owl's egg is cracking, you're going to be a grandfather!"

They raced to Hagrid's hut, Malfoy hurrying to keep up, and Alex banged on the door. Hagrid opened it and Alex stepped over the threshold and Fang, who was whimpering in his attempt to beg for food.

"What's _he_ doing here?" growled Hagrid, seeing Malfoy.

"Well, it is his owl," Alex said, "It's not everyday you get to see a baby owl hatch."

Hagrid sighed and led them to his bed where the mother owl was sitting in a nest made of paper and twigs.

"Try to be hospitable," Alex said to Malfoy as he looked around hut distastefully, "You're lucky he's even letting you within ten feet of him after what you've done." She turned to the owl. _"How's it coming?"_ she asked worriedly. The other two eggs hadn't survived so this was the last one left.

_"He's coming,"_ the owl said. She stood up and Alex saw quite a few cracks in the egg. Gently, assuring the mother she wasn't going to hurt the baby, Alex took the egg and put it on the table. It began rattling and a beak emerged, followed by a head and the rest of the body.

_"Mamma?"_ the baby asked Alex.

_"No honey, she is,"_ Alex said and pointed to the adult owl who flew over to her baby.

Alex looked and saw Hagrid with tears in his eyes. She turned to Malfoy who looked shell-shocked.

"'Scuse me," Hagrid said and he went outside, possibly to blow is nose.

"Amazing isn't it? Life is a beautiful gift that can be taken so easily and never returned," Alex said as she sat on the bed.

"It is," Malfoy said and Alex looked up questioningly, "I lost my grandmother when I was nine. I know just how easily it's taken."

"I'm sorry," said Alex sincerely. She hadn't expected Malfoy to understand even a little of what she had went through. He had everything he could want: family, money, and power. Hearing him tell her about his grandmother made him seem…almost human.

"Can you, you know, "ask" who the father is?" he asked awkwardly.

Alex nodded and asked the adult owl. She smiled when the owl answered and turned to the Slytherin. "A Mr. Bird is the owl, ring any bells?"

"Oh Merlin," Malfoy said disgusted, "Crabbe and I are in-laws."

Alex couldn't help it, she laughed. Of course an idiot like Crabbe would name his owl that! She felt bad for the poor creature. What surprised Alex, however, was that Malfoy laughed too. The both were laughing so hard that they were crying. Finally, they stopped and wiped their eyes.

"Well, now you have a grandchild owl. What are you going to do with him?" Alex asked, still tearing.

"I can't keep him so you can have him. It's definitely a him, right?" Malfoy asked, eying the bald bird.

"Yes it is, you want to see for yourself?"

"No, I'm fine, really," Malfoy said and shuddered.

"I already have an owl, but I have a friend who might enjoy him," Alex said, thinking Erin could us a bird to keep her company, "She's not really used to owls as pets so I'm sure she'll enjoy him."

"She's a Muggle then?" said Malfoy coldly. Alex nodded and he continued, "You do realize that this owl comes from a pureblood family?"

"You do realize that without my help, you would still think that your owl was a male?" she growled, "I'm warning you, Malfoy, because I'm in a giving mood. Don't make the same mistake you did last year by pissing me off, unless you enjoyed having your hair dyed hot flamingo pink?"

Just then, Hagrid came back in and Malfoy left quickly. Once the doors closed, Hagrid made a pot of tea while Alex calmed herself down. There was a knock at the door and Alex opened it to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing outside, shivering.

"So this is where you went!" Ron said, "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"Come in, Hagrid's making some tea."

They came in and Hermione gave a loud "AWW!" when she saw the baby owl. They gathered around and Alex explained what happened.

"It was amazing, better then I imagined," Alex said happily.

"But why did you bring Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"It's his owl," Alex said, "He should see it."

Hagrid set down the tea tray with shaking hands and accidentally spilled the milk. Alex cleaned it with a wave of her wand.

"What's up Hagrid?" she asked, seeing her large friend's sad face.

"I got this today from the Ministry o' Magic," he said and pulled out a piece of parchment and laid it on the table. Harry picked it up and read it aloud:

"Dear Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, we, the school governors, find you not accountable for the attacks on one Mr. Draco Malfoy."

"Well that's good, Hagrid," Ron said but Hagrid gestured for Harry to continue, tears running into his scraggly beard.

"However, the same cannot be said for the hippogriff in question. There will be a hearing for the creature, otherwise known as "Buckbeak". This hearing will take place February 20th in Courtroom 5. The time of the hearing will be given closer to the date. Signed,'"

Harry read out the names of all the school governors. Hermione patted Hagrid's large hand as he cried.

"Don't worry Hagrid," she said, "We'll help you make a strong case."

"Yeah," Alex said, she too putting her small hand in Hagrid's, "Buckbeak's done nothing wrong, he's bound to get off."

"Yer the best, yeh four!" Hagrid wailed and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Ron made a new pot of tea (Hagrid had forgotten to make the water hot in his sorrow) while Hermione and Harry tried to calm Hagrid down. Alex went over to a corner of the hut where she saw a much larger nest made for Buckbeak.

_"Why is Hagrid shedding so many tears?"_ the hippogriff asked.

_"He's upset with someone,"_ Alex said. She didn't want to tell the creature why Hagrid was upset, it would cause Buckbeak to be depressed and make Hagrid even sadder.

_"Have they hurt him?"_ Buckbeak asked, rising with a fire in his eye.

_"No!"_ Alex said quickly and watched as Buckbeak relaxed, _"He'll be fine, just watch over him for me, all right?"_

_"You can count on me."_

After tea, the four went back to the castle and to the library where they started looking for information to help build a case for Buckbeak's innocence.

That night, Alex, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came back from a full day of reading. Alex dropped onto the couch and rubbed her throbbing temples.

"How do you spend a full day, everyday, at the library?" Harry asked Hermione tiredly.

"Hard work, perseverance-"

"And someone to keep us from falling asleep, usually me," Alex finished.

"Hey, there's a Hogsmede trip the last weekend before Christmas vacation," said Ron, looking at the notice board.

Harry and Alex groaned simultaneously.

"Let's hope this time is better than the last," Alex said with a shiver, "I still haven't recreated a patronus yet and I don't want to have to deal with them again."

…...

The day of Hogsmede trip came quickly and found Alex in the library, struggling through her Arithmancy. She looked up to see Harry running toward her, holding up an old piece of parchment and his father's Invisibility Cloak, wearing a look of triumph.

"What's up? You finally found a way to get back at Malfoy?" Alex asked.

"Better, I found a way to get to Hogsmede without running into the dementors," said Harry.

"Well, what are we standing around for? Let's get this show on the road!" said Alex as she threw her papers into her bag.

She followed Harry and eventually came to a statue of a one-eyed witch. Harry looked at the parchment, tapped his wand on the hump, and whispered, "_Dissendium!_". The hump opened and revealed a tunnel into the black abyss.

"How did you know about this?" Alex said, looking around for teachers.

"Fred and George gave me this for Christmas, and you don't need to worry about Filch," he added, seeing Alex look around for the wheezy old caretaker, "He's with Peeves in the dungeons."

He showed Alex the paper and she gasped. It was a mini-map of the entire castle and surrounding grounds. She looked and did see Filch and Peeve's names in the area marked "Dungeons"

"How did they get this?" she asked in awe.

"Knicked it from Filch in their first year they said," replied Harry, "Look, watch this."

He pointed his wand at the parchment and said, "Mischief managed," causing the map to disappear. He then said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," and Alex leaned over to see what it said.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present:_

_The Marauder's Map_

"Now this is my kind of map!" Alex said, a mischievous look in her eyes, "Imagine the possibilities! With our invisibility objects and this, we'd be able to perform the greatest pranks ever! Malfoy won't know what hit him!"

"One thing at a time Alex," Harry said, but he was smiling too, "Let's go before anyone comes." Alex nodded and turned the knob on her locket to the right, becoming invisible. "Ladies first," said Harry, eyeing the dark passage warily.

"Oh thanks Harry, a true gentleman making the woman go first into the dark hole," she retorted sarcastically.

Alex went down, dropping to her knees. She looked up and told Harry it wasn't too far and to go ahead. She moved quickly out of the way as he jumped.

"I'll leave my bag here so I don't have to carry it," Alex told Harry.

They walked down the dark tunnel, using their wand light to see. About a half an hour later, the tunnel came to a dead end with a ladder leading upward. Alex climbed and lifted a large, loose tile.

"Good sir, I give you Hogsmede," Alex said as she climbed through the hole and kept watch as Harry did the same.

"I think we're in Honeydukes cellar," whispered Harry, looking at boxes upon boxes of sweets.

The two snuck up the stairs and into the shop. Alex saw Ron and Hermione and became visible again, Harry following suit. They made their way through the crowd and stood behind their friends, Alex grinning and putting a finger to her lips.

"You think Harry'll like these?" Ron asked, holding up a moving, chocolate cockroach.

"Ew Ron!" Hermione laughed, "How about this for Alex?" She held up a candy fang with red ooze dripping off the tip.

"And I thought you knew me," Alex said in a fake appalled voice.

"I was only-ALEX!" Hermione spun around and almost knocked over an entire container of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Harry, Alex, how did you get here?" Ron asked, moving away from the shelves.

"There's a secret passageway in the hump of the one-eyed witch statue," Alex explained.

"And I found it, courtesy of your brothers," Harry said and showed Ron and Hermione the map.

"Isn't it awesome?" Alex asked, staring at it in amazement.

"I don't think you should be showing it around," Hermione said worriedly, "What if Black was to find it? It's a map straight to you and Alex!"

"He won't know how to work it," Harry said, "I can clear it whenever I want." He showed them how he could, but Hermione still looked worried.

"Oh come on Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes, "Harry isn't going to leave it lying around."

"But what if Black finds him here? What if a teacher sees you two? They all know you're not allowed to be here."

"Lighten up Hermione!" Ron said, "It's Christmas for Merlin's sake, they deserve a break. They've been working hard all year."

"Are you going to tell on us?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Of course not! But still…"

"Come on then, let's give you the grand tour!" said Ron and led Alex and Harry around the shop.

"It'll be fun Hermione," Alex told her friend as they left the sweet shop, pockets bulging, both she and Harry becoming invisible, "And besides, what's life without a little risk once and a while?"

They next went to Zonko's, the wizard joke shop. Alex saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan leaving with their pockets full and holding ripping bags. Afterwards, they went to the post office where Alex saw, and heard, thousands of owls chatting amongst themselves.

Once they left the post office, Alex began to shiver. All she had on in the bitter winter weather were jeans, a shirt, and a sweatshirt over it while Ron and Hermione had on heavy coats and scarves. Poor Harry only had the cloak and a long-sleeved shirt with jeans to keep him warm.

"Let's get a butterbeer and then we can see the Shrieking Shack," suggested Hermione and Alex readily agreed.

They walked into the Three Broomsticks and immediately Alex felt warmer. It was a relatively large pub and was jam-packed with all kinds of people: witches, wizards, warlocks, and, Alex pointed out to the others, a pair of goblins.

"I'll get the drinks," Ron said quickly and went up to the bar where a pretty barmaid waited on him.

"That's Madame Rosemerta," Hermione said with an eye roll, "Ron's latest fancy. Let's get that booth in the corner."

They took the booth and Alex turned the knob to the left, her visible face showing a grin. She was having so much fun and was enjoying every minute of the wizarding village. Ron soon came with four butterbeers and Alex took a sip, her stomach feeling warm and happy.

A cool breeze came in and Harry, facing the door, choked on his drink. Alex turned and dove under the table with her drink as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, Hagrid, and the Minister of Magic came into the pub. Harry soon joined her and Hermione managed to move a heavily decorated Christmas tree in front of their booth with her wand. Through the bottom branches, Alex could see four pairs of shoes: a pair of large boots, a pair of expensive leather shoes, a pair of little shoes that weren't even close to touching the ground, and a pair of plain women's shoes. Then, two sparkly heels came over and a woman's voice drifted toward them.

"A small gillywater-"

"That's mine," McGonagall said.

"Four pints of mulled mead-"

A hearty laugh that Alex recognized as Hagrid's ran throughout the pub, causing Alex to cover her ears.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"

"Yum!" Flitwick's high voice said.

"And a red currant for you, Minister?" the woman finished.

"Thank you Rosemerta. Why don't you join us for a drink?"

"Thank you Minister, I'll be back in a moment."

The pair of heels left and Alex looked at Harry. His tankard was empty and she saw his shirt was wet. Quietly, she pulled out her wand and dried it off, receiving a thankful smile from Harry. Just then, the heels were back followed by a chair.

"I hope you are well," Cornelius Fudge asked.

"I'd be better if those dementors weren't popping in at night and scaring my customers out of their minds," Rosemerta said with a touch of iciness in her words.

"It's only a precaution until we catch Black," said Fudge uneasily.

"But why here? You surely don't think he'll go after the school again, do you?"

"It's hard to say," Fudge said uncomfortably.

"What made him do all those terrible things?" asked Rosemerta curiously.

"No one truly knows," the minister said mysteriously, "We can only guess that something must have pushed him over the edge."

"Like what?" persisted the barmaid.

"Do you remember who Black used to hang out with when he was at school?" asked McGonagall.

"Of course I do!" Rosemerta laughed, "I only remember one of his four friends because they used to make me laugh. James Potter and Sirius Black were the best of friends at school. Always bringing their girlfriends in here, and a different one every time for Black."

Alex looked at Harry who was staring at the pairs of feet. She then turned back to the conversation.

"Of course," Rosemerta continued, "I think it was their last year, he kept bringing the same girl. I remember because I used to see her and her sister when they were younger, walking in and completely oblivious to all the boys ogling around them. Those Tortelli twins were the heart-breakers of the school."

Alex's stomach dropped. Her mother's maiden name was Tortelli.

"Exactly, Black and Alana were going out in their last year," McGonagall said, "I remember having to give them detentions because they would hex each other in the hallways. I never thought they would get together. It seemed they were very close, and still were after they left.

"Black was about ready to propose to Alana, he even asked James Potter to be his best man. But just a week before he was going to ask, she broke up with him. Black was heart-broken and went into a deep depression, which only increased when Alana told everyone she was engaged to David Ratcliff, a Muggle friend of hers. He was her landlord if memory serves me right."

"Oh no," Rosemerta whispered sadly, "The poor man."

"Yes, he was very upset but still attended the wedding. He even wished them happiness at the reception. But under his cheeriness, he was a changed man. He was probably already working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Fudge said, "Just a few months later, he was the best man at the Potter's wedding. James trusted Black more than any of his other friends."

"So," McGonagall picked up, "When Dumbledore told the Potters that You-Know-Who was after them, he told them to perform the Fidelius Charm."

"What is that?" Rosemerta asked with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"It is when the secret position of someone is kept inside a trustworthy person, called a Secret-Keeper," the Charms professor said, "Only the Secret-Keeper can reveal the information. This way, as long as the Secret-Keeper refused to talk, You-Know-Who could never find them, no matter how hard he looked."

"So, the Potters chose Black?" asked Rosemerta.

"I believe Dumbledore offered to be their Secret-Keeper, but Black was James' best friend in school and he still thought so," Fudge said seriously, "But there is more to the story."

"More? What else could there be?" Rosemerta asked with curiosity.

"Many of You-Know-Who's followers are descended from the Black family line and were related to Sirius Black," the minister said slowly, almost regretfully, "They knew that Alana had been very serious with one of their own and were bent on forcing her to regret it. They were hunting her, her husband, and her child so James and Lily, being true friends, asked them to join them in hiding. They agreed and Black was to be both their Secret-Keepers. Now, you can imagine how Black must have felt. He had the power to make the one who hurt him pay for what she did and kill the Muggle man she chose instead of him."

"Oh Merlin," Rosemerta breathed shakily, "All because of a break-up?"

"It was barely a week after the charm was preformed when…" Fudge paused, taking a breath before continuing, "When You-Know-Who came and killed the Potter's and the Ratcliff's, both children surviving. Black was tired of his double-life. He wanted to show the world that he was the loyal servant of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. So, when the plan backfired, Black was left in a difficult situation. Everyone knew he was the only one who could have told You-Know-Who where the Potter's and Ratcliff's were, so he decided to run for it."

"I saw him," growled Hagrid in a voice that made the glasses rattle, "I saw tha' filthy traitor tha' night! He came on tha' motorcycle he used to ride and saw me with the babies. He knew what happened, but I didn't know how much he knew. He started cryin' and I comforted him, I COMFORTED THA' TRAITOR!"

Alex was so caught up in the conversation she didn't even cover her ears. The whole pub went silent for a few seconds and then the noise picked up again.

"Hagrid please," McGonagall said sternly, "Keep your voice down."

"Sorry, I'm just so mad at meself for doin' it. After he stopped, he told me, he says, "Let me take the children, Hagrid. I am Harry's godfather and I'll raise Alex too." But I told him, I says, "I have me orders from Dumbledore to take them to their next relatives." He wasn't too happy, he tried to fight me. I just thought he was grievin' but I now realize he just wanted ta finish the job. Once I calmed him down, he says "Take my bike, I won't need it anymore." He loved that bike, I should've guessed somethin' was up but I just took it an' went away."

There was silence and Alex realized her face was wet. Quickly wiping the moisture away, she heard Rosemerta speak.

"Well, at least he didn't use the bike to get away faster. The Ministry managed to get to him before he went far."

"Alas, if only we did. It was Peter Pettigrew who was the first to find Black," Fudge said thickly.

"Peter Pettigrew? The mousy-like boy who always followed the others around?" Rosemerta asked, surprised.

"He didn't just follow them around," McGonagall said in a voice Alex never heard her use. It was full of sadness and guilt. "He worshipped them, wanted to _be_ them. He was never as good as they others and I was sometimes hard on him. Now, I feel so horrible about it…" She trailed off and Alex heard someone blowing their nose.

"We all feel sorry, Minerva," Flitwick said comfortingly.

"Peter died like a hero," Fudge said kindly, "Once he heard the news of the death of his friends, he tailed Black and cornered him. He drew his wand, but Black was quicker and, well…got to him first."

"He was always bad at dueling," McGonagall said thickly and someone blew their nose again.

"When we arrived," Fudge said, he too sounding like he was extremely upset, "All that was left were pieces. I was new to the Ministry and I remember it very well, lately I've been having nightmares about it. There was Black in the middle of a crater, bodies everywhere, laughing."

"Laughing?" Rosemerta asked, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, laughing. He laughed while we arrested him and all the way to Azkaban. There was no trial because it was obvious he was the one who did it, what with all the eye-witnesses. We covered it up for the Muggles and said it was a gas explosion I believe. It was a very messy affair."

There was the sound of noses being blown, one much louder than the others, and Fudge continued, his voice thick.

"We gathered the largest part we could find of poor Peter and sent it to his mother, along with an Order of Merlin First Class. It was the least thing we could do for a man who tried to stop a killer. The poor woman had lost her husband only a few weeks before. Black's been in Azkaban for twelve years and we know the rest."

"Is it true that he's a madman, like they say in the _Prophet_?" asked Rosemerta.

"To some extent, I believe so. But, just a few days before he escaped, I went to visit him as I do with all the high-security prisoners, to make sure they are not trying to plan an escape. When I sat down with him, he seemed completely normal. Most prisoners mumble incoherently when you ask them something, but he answered me clearly and even asked if I was done with the paper. He said, and I remember this like it was yesterday, "I miss doing the crosswords". Black was under top security with dementors around his cell every second. And when the dementors found he had escaped, it was horrible."

There was silence and Alex saw the pairs of legs stand up and leave, exchanging good-byes as the sparkly heels stayed to clean the table and then headed to the bar.

"Harry? Alex?"

Alex looked up and saw Hermione Ron looking at the two of them under the table.

"We should head back now," Alex said in a hollow voice, nothing like her usually happy, go-lucky one.

…...

Alex didn't remember the trip back at all, only except for the silence of it and getting her bag. Once back in the common room, she went up to the dormitory and to her trunk, puling out her mother's photo albums, flipping to the school pages. There were many pictures of her mother and aunt and Alex saw the man she never learned the name of, the man she now knew was Sirius Black, the man who betrayed her parents. As Alex looked at the smiling handsome young wizard, she only saw a slight resemblance to the man on all the newspaper covers. She put away the album and climbed into bed, even though it was still light out. She heard Hermione come in and was thankful she didn't check on her, Alex really needed to be alone for a while. When Alex did finally sleep, she dreamed of Black killing Pettigrew and heard her mother's screams.

_Author's Note: Ta-da! This is one of my favorite chapters so far, but what did you think? There's a lot of new information here so please let me know if I left any important stuff out. Granted, there is still stuff that needs to be explained and that will happen later on but if you ask me questions, I can let you know whether or not they will be answered. I really want some feedback on this chapter because it's so important to the plot of the series. If you haven't reviewed before, I would really appreciate it if you could just say whether or not you liked/disliked this chapter. Thank you all and I hope you enjoyed this! :)_


	14. Chapter 13 TeensAngerUnknown Facts

_Author's Note: Alex is mine, you can't have her! Sorry J.K Rowling, but at least you own the rest of this. Warning: There's some mild swearing at the end of the chapter…_

Chapter 13 Teens + Anger = Unknown Facts

Alex woke up with a start and saw the dormitory empty. Still in her pajamas, she went down the stairs to an empty common room. She sat in her favorite chair and stared into the roaring flames, in a trance. Her mother had died because a man she dated was angry for her breaking up with him. Alex didn't care what Fudge thought, Black was a lunatic and out of his mind. If every man in the world did that when their girlfriends broke up with them, there would be no women in the world.

"Alex?" She jumped when she heard her name and saw Hermione and Ron, each carrying a mini-lunch. "You hungry?" Hermione asked. Alex shook her head and watched as the two put down the food and sat in chairs.

"Where is everyone?" Alex asked in the same hollow, lifeless voice from yesterday.

"It's the first day of Christmas vacation, remember?" Ron said and Alex nodded, turning back to the flames. She heard bare feet on the steps and saw Harry come down the stairs, looking as tired as Alex felt. He too sat in a chair and took to staring into the fire.

"Listen you two, we know it's hard what you heard yesterday," Hermione said, "But you need to talk to us about it, let it out. That's what we're here for."

"And promise us you won't go looking for Black," Ron added.

Alex let out a bark of grim laughter and said, "That's what your dad told us."

"Well, Ron's dad's right," Hermione said carefully, "Black would want you to go after him, then he wouldn't have to lift a finger."

"This man killed our parents," said Harry quietly, "And you expect us to stay here and let him find us?"

"Dumbledore is here," Hermione said quickly, "He'll make sure Black doesn't get in again."

"But that's just it," Alex said, shaking her head, "Black's already gotten past the dementors twice now. What's to say he doesn't try again? I'm not agreeing with Harry that we should make it a point to go and look for him, but I think that Harry and I should be ready to fight him if he does."

"Why shouldn't we go and find him?" Harry said, rounding on Alex, "He killed our parents for Merlin's sake! In fact, it's your mother's fault he even did it!"

"Harry-" Hermione said, looking at Alex's surprisingly calm face warily.

"No Hermione, don't defend her, she knows I'm right! It's all because your mother broke up with Black and pushed him over the edge!"

Alex was silent as Harry looked at her angrily and sighed. "Harry, people break up, relationships fall. It's all part of life and growing up. And yet, you don't see every man who gets dumped going around and killing their friends and ex-girlfriends. Black was never in his right mind, he was just a great actor. I know your upset and I am too, but the only person we have to blame for our parents' deaths is Black."

"Then why don't you want to find him and do something?" Harry asked, calming down and running his hands through his already messy hair.

"Because I made a promise to Ron's dad saying I wouldn't to go looking for Black. And you did too Harry," Alex said, "I don't know about you, but when I make a promise, I try my hardest to keep it."

Harry nodded and Alex suggested they attempt to get their work done early so they could relax later. That night, Hermione and Alex talked in their empty dormitory and, after using two boxes of tissues, the two went to bed, Alex feeling like a hundred pound weight had been lifted off her.

…...

It was Christmas morning and Alex woke up at the crack of dawn. She waited two seconds, got out of bed, and pulled out her wand. Quietly as humanly possible, she crept to Hermione's bed and made her voice magically magnified.

"WAKE UP HERMIONE!" she said loudly.

Hermione screamed and almost fell out of bed. She looked at Alex's innocent face and smiled tiredly, "Glad to see you're back to normal."

The girls used their wands to carry their unwrapped gifts to the boys' dormitory where Alex knocked loudly and obnoxiously until a very tired Ron opened the door.

"Morning Ronald," Alex said cheerfully as she and Hermione entered.

"You do know what time it is, right?" Ron growled as the girls set down the presents.

"No, actually we don't," Hermione said, "What time is it?"

"Five in the morning," Harry said under his sheets.

"Oh, well I woke Hermione up as soon as I did. Here, let me show you how." She went over to Harry's bed and again made her voice amplified, "GET UP YOU SLEEPY HEAD!"

Harry jumped higher than Hermione did and managed to get caught in his blankets, causing his top portion of his body to fall while his legs were wrapped up in the sheets. They all had a good laugh and even Harry managed a chuckle.

As they were opening gifts, Alex saw a package wrapped in newspaper. Lying on top of it was a black velvet ring box, attached by a Sticking Charm. Taking it, Alex removed the Sticking Charm with ease and looked at the newspaper-wrapped gift. She saw it was an old paper and had a picture of her aunt and Harry's mother under the headline, "Hogwarts' Two Valedictorians!" The rest of the article went on to mention how both Elizabeth Tortelli and Lily Evans had gotten the same final grades and both received the honor of being valedictorians. There was a quote underlined and Alex saw it was her mother saying, "I knew they would get the award, but I was afraid the school would have to choose one over the other. If they did, I would have had a serious problem with that seeing as one is my sister and the other is one of my best friends. This way, everyone wins and no one gets hurt, both physically and emotionally." Alex smiled and saw there was a note on the paper.

_Alex,_

_These were your mother's. I hope you find them helpful for learning about her. You are so much like her and deserve to truly know what she was like. I also underlined a quote from her in this newspaper article. Enjoy!_

There was no name and Alex frowned. If it was from her uncle, he would have signed his name. Thinking he must have forgotten, Alex carefully opened the gift, trying not to rip the article so she should keep it. Inside was a small leather-bound book with "Alana Maria Tortelli" written in fancy gold lettering. Alex opened the book and a piece of paper fell out.

_To whoever opened this,_

_Welcome to the diary of Alana Maria Tortelli! In case you haven't already guessed, I'm Alana! I wrote in this little book so that I could always remember my wonderful experiences at Hogwarts for years to come. If you have never heard of Hogwarts, this is all a dream. You are standing by a roaring river and the sound of running water is making you really have to go to the toilet. There, that should take care of the Muggles who might have found this and thought it would be funny to read a poor girl's diary (I put a Memory Charm on this so that any Muggle who read that would put the book down and forget all about this.) Now I must warn readers that this book may contain pranks, arrogant-sounding boys, and extremely beautiful girls (that is, my totally awesome friends!) So sit back, relax, and enjoy The School Life of Alana Tortelli!_

"What's that Alex?" Ron asked, seeing the diary in Alex's hands.

"It's my mother's diary," Alex said in a whisper.

"Who gave it to you?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, there's no name. It's probably my uncle and he just forgot to sign his name," said Alex, still looking the little book over. She remembered the little box and quickly picked it up, opening it with a gasp.

Inside was a beautiful ring made of yellow gold. The metal shined brightly as Alex ran her fingers over the woven band. In the center of the ring was a gorgeous ruby, like the color of Gryffindor. In the box, Alex saw another note and quickly picked it up to read.

_Alex,_

_This was your mother's ring. Unfortunately not her wedding or engagement ring, but it was very important to her._

Carefully, Alex slipped the ring on her right hand and smiled as it fit, albeit a little loose on her. She showed it to her friends and the boys just nodded distractedly while Hermione looked torn between amazement and worry.

One of the gifts Alex opened was a soft package from Erin. When she ripped off the black dog paper, she laughed. It was a T-shirt with the picture Alex had taken with Orion and herself. She was laughing as the black dog licked her chin. Quickly, she went onto Harry's bed and pulled the curtains around her, changing into her new shirt. She then threw her annual Weasley sweater on, this time it had the three Quidditch goal hoops on the front and was the color of the Gryffindor ruby red. She came out of Harry's bed and gasped.

"Holy Merlin! Harry, is that really, truly, a Firebolt? I think I'm dreaming."

Harry was sitting cross-legged with a long box in his lap, the Firebolt still in it. Alex walked over and rubbed her eyes.

"Can I…Can I touch it?" Alex asked and Harry nodded, still too shocked to speak. Alex felt the smooth handle and saw the serial number and knew she wasn't dreaming.

"Who gave it to you?" Ron asked, just as shocked as Harry and Alex.

"I don't know, there's no card or note," Harry said, looking through the paper in the box.

"That's a good broom, isn't it?" Hermione asked as the boys looked frantically through the box for any kind of note.

"Only the best in the world!" Ron said, stopping his search.

"It must be very expensive," Hermione said, frowning.

"Yeah, it is. Hey Harry, I bet Dumbledore gave it to you!"

"He can't do that, that would be playing favorites," Alex said, "He only gave Harry that gift in his first year because it was his dad's."

"What about Lupin? He likes Harry, maybe he gave it to him."

"Oh yeah," Harry laughed, "If he had enough money to buy the best racing broom in the world, he would buy himself some new robes."

"Well, at least you'll kick some ass next Quidditch match," Alex said with a smile.

"Ye-Hey Harry! Wait until Malfoy sees it! Oh I can't wait, can I ride it? After you of course," said Ron excitedly.

"I don't think anyone should ride it yet!" Hermione said quickly. Alex and the boys looked at Hermione with confusion. "We still have Christmas dinner," she added quickly.

Alex shrugged and continued opening her gifts. Her last gift was a paint set. There was a card and Alex read it to herself.

_Dear Alex,_

_I hope you are well and having a Merry Christmas. I also hope this gift will allow you to show me all the wonderful colors of Hogwarts. I miss you terribly and will see you soon. Merry Christmas!_

_Your loving uncle,_

_Uncle Monty_

Alex was very confused. If her uncle hadn't given her the diary, then who did? Maybe it was Professor Lupin. But it couldn't be, Professor Lupin's handwriting was neat and small while this person's handwriting was messier as well as larger. Shaking her head, she gathered her gifts and went back to her room with Hermione. As Alex was putting away her art set, Hermione spoke.

"Don't you think it's odd that Harry gets a racing broom, a very expensive broom, for Christmas and the giver doesn't say who they are?"

"I guess," Alex said shrugging, "Why, do you think you know who sent it?"

"I think so," Hermione said quietly, "I think it was sent by Sirius Black."

Alex stopped what she was doing, looked at her best friend, and laughed. "Hermione, Black's a man on the run!" she cried, "How do you expect him to have enough money to buy that broom and even get within ten miles of Diagon Alley to buy it?"

"I don't know, but I just have this feeling that he sent it. I think that Professor McGonagall should look at it."

"You feel strongly about this?" Alex asked and Hermione nodded, "Then I'll back you up. I should warn you, the guys won't like it."

"I'm doing what I think is right for Harry because I don't want him to get hurt by Black."

"I agree with you one hundred percent."

Hermione smiled and pulled on her Weasley sweater, which was a dull gold with a book shelf on the front. They joined the boys downstairs and went to the Great Hall. When they opened the doors, there was one medium-sized table with a bunch of teachers sitting around it.

"Oh, sorry professors," Alex said, "We thought it was time to eat."

"Come in," Dumbledore said with a warm smile, "This is where we will be eating. Since there are only a few of us, I thought we should eat together and share the Christmas spirit."

Alex nodded and caught eyes with Snape. The last thing she wanted right now was to share any spirit with her Potions professor. She and the others sat down and were soon joined by a few other students and another professor.

She was a skinny woman with glasses that made her eyes much larger than normal. Her hair was big and bushier than Hermione's, which was saying something, and she was dressed in dull yellow robes and had a lot of heavy jewelry on.

"Who's that?" Alex whispered to Hermione.

"Professor Trelawney," Hermione replied, "She teaches Divination and is a little…out there."

"In a good way or a bad way?" Alex asked.

"In my opinion, a bad way," said Hermione and Alex chortled into her drink as she passed her friend the gravy ladle.

"Good afternoon Sybil," the Headmaster said, "I'm glad you joined us. Have a seat."

He waved his wand and a chair appeared. As Professor Trelawney was about to sit, she stood up and let out a cry that made Alex jump, almost spilling the gravy on Hermione's lap.

"What is it, Sybil?" McGonagall asked in annoyance, seeing as she spilled her wine all over herself. She managed to clean it with a wave of her wand.

"There are twelve people at this table and, if I were to join, it would be thirteen," she said. When no one reacted like she did, she continued, "If thirteen people dine together, the first to rise is the first to die."

"Oh…my…Merlin," Alex whispered, "This lady needs to go to the funny farm and have her own ward."

Hermione choked on her turkey and Alex had to thump her on the back a couple of times. During this time, Professor Trelawney sat down slowly and began eating. Alex enjoyed the feast as usual and ate until she was sure someone would have to role her out. When the desserts disappeared, crackers appeared. Alex took one and pulled it, resulting in a cloud of smoke and a loud _BANG! _When the smoke vanished, a figurine of a black dog was in front of her. She smiled and pocketed the dog, happening to see Snape watching her with a frown on his face. Once she felt that she could walk on her own, she stretched. Harry and Ron stood up together and were leaving.

"Which one of you left first?" Professor Trelawney cried out.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and Harry said, "I don't know, I guess the both of us."

"Really Sybil, I don't think it matters which one of them stood up first," McGonagall said, frowning, "They're not going to die unless a crazy axe murderer is outside waiting to kill whoever is the first one out the door."

Alex laughed and even Harry and Ron managed a smile. They looked at Alex and Hermione, but Alex told them to go on ahead. Once they were gone, Hermione asked if she could have a word with Professor McGonagall. The professor nodded and left the Great Hall with Alex and Hermione. Once they were far from the door, Hermione told the Head of House about Harry's Christmas gift and how she thought it might be from Black. When she finished, McGonagall nodded.

"Let me see it," she said and Alex and Hermione led her to the common room.

Alex opened the portrait hole and went to the far side of the room with Hermione, each grabbing a book to hide their faces in as McGonagall asked to see the Firebolt. When she said she had to take it and strip it down, Alex almost cried out. She knew this was an amazing broom. When people stripped down a broom, some of the qualities could be lost. Finally, McGonagall left and the boys turned to the girls behind the books.

"You told her, didn't you?" Ron said angrily, "You just can't stand it when someone has something great!"

"I only did it because I was worried," Hermione said defensively.

"Worried about what?" Ron shouted.

"I thought, and Professor McGonagall and Alex agree, that the broom was sent by Sirius Black."

The boys were silent and Alex too lowered her book. She saw Ron looking red in the face from anger and Harry looking betrayed and shocked.

"We only did it because we don't want you to get hurt," Alex said quietly.

Harry shook his head and left in a huff, closely followed by Ron, who shot them one final withering look.

…...

Harry and Ron refused to talk to the girls, although Alex didn't mind so much seeing as she was angry with the way the boys had reacted about the broom. Even she, who loved Quidditch more than most girls her age, knew that Harry's safety was way more important than a broomstick.

Once school started up again, Alex found herself flooded with work. She had to work extra hard in Arithmancy as the problems got much harder. Sometimes, Hermione and she would be up until midnight, Hermione trying to explain how to figure out the answers to a very confused and exhausted Alex. The Friday night of the first week back, Alex climbed into bed exhausted from studying.

_She was in a grassy valley, sitting on a red and white checkered blanket. She heard laughter and turned to see her mother's smiling face._

_"Darling, you're getting jelly all over your face," her mother said and wiped her mouth with a napkin._

_Just then, a pair of hands lifted Alex off the ground and she screamed with delight, soon erupting into a loud belly laugh. The pair of hands held her parallel to the ground at her waist and a voice was making commentary._

_"She goes to the Snitch, dodges Bludgers left and right. She reaches…AND SHE CATCHES IT! Alex has won the Quidditch World Cup for England!" the man's voice said._

_Alex saw her mother laughing and applauding for her daughter as the man set her down. She ran after a firefly and managed to catch one. She returned to her mother and saw her sitting next to the man, who had his back to her. Alex reached out to tug on the man's robes and show both of them what she had caught._

SNORT! Alex's eyes snapped open and she saw her hand was outstretched, like it was in her dream. She let it fall and heard Maggie's snores continue, rolling over and falling asleep again.

…...

"Alex!"

Alex opened her eyes once again and found herself on the floor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for the umpteenth time. She managed to get up and Lupin handed Alex her wand and a piece of chocolate.

"That was better today," Lupin said with a smile and Alex raised her eyebrows at him unbelievingly, "I'm serious, before you could barely hold your own against the boggart dementor. Now, at least you can hold them off for a while and give people time to come and help you."

"But I don't want people to have to come and rescue me," said Alex as she ate, "I'm not some damsel in distress. I want to be able to get rid of them myself."

"Alex, you forget this is very advanced magic. I think that's enough for today."

"Oh Professor Lupin, can't I do it once more? I feel fine, really."

"Very well," said Professor Lupin reluctantly.

Alex racked her brains for an extremely happy memory. She remembered last night's dream, it wasn't a memory but maybe it would work. She let happiness wash over her and remembered the laughter of both her and her mother as she flew through the air.

"Ready?"

Alex nodded and Lupin opened the trunk they were using to keep the boggart in. The dementor appeared and glided slowly toward her, it's scabby hands reaching out.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" Alex shouted.

A white figure emerged from the tip of her wand and bounded at the dementor. The dark creature shrunk away as the white patronus leaped onto it, pushing it into the trunk. Lupin closed it and the bright animal walked to her, sat down, and wagged its tail. Alex bent down and watched as the patronus sniffed her outstretched hand. Then, just as suddenly as it came, it vanished and left the area around Alex misty white.

"Was that my patronus?" Alex asked.

"Yes, it was," Lupin said, looking proud but confused as well, "Could you see what it was?"

"It was a dog, a large one. When my friends saw it, they thought it was a wolf. I can see why they would think so," Alex said with a smile.

She helped the professor put the trunk away and then they sat at the table, Lupin pulling out two bottles of Butterbeer.

"You've never had this before, I believe. Your mother and aunt used to love it," he said, handing her a bottle.

Alex acted as though she had never seen the bottle before and took a sip.

"It's delicious!" she said enthusiastically, "What is it?"

"It's called Butterbeer," Lupin explained, "I managed to get a case from the Three Broomsticks. It's great stuff, especially when it's cold outside."

Alex nodded, took a deep breath, and reached into her pocket, laying the photograph on the table.

"You never told me who the final wizard was, sir," Alex said, watching Lupin's reaction. His expression was blank, but Alex could see in his eyes that he knew the man. Alex waited patiently while Professor Lupin stared at the picture. She decided to help him along. "Sir, is that Sirius Black?"

"Why would you say that?" the professor asked quickly, almost snappishly.

"For Christmas, I got my mother's diary," said Alex smoothly. She hadn't had a chance to read it yet but knew there would be something about him in there.

"Yes, it is him," Lupin said, looking as though he had aged ten years, "But this was a long time ago, before we really knew him. You said you got your mother's diary for Christmas?" She nodded and he continued, "Do you have it with you?"

"Yes sir, in my bag." Alex took out the small book and handed it over to the professor. He smiled wistfully as he paged through the ink-filled book. Stopping towards the end, his eyes flew across the page and he looked at Alex for a moment before speaking.

"Would you mind if I borrowed this for a while?" he asked, "To allow a man to relive his glory days if you will?"

"Of course sir!" said Alex with a smile, "Take as long as you need. I just finished my mum's second year and I want to read each year as I go through it myself."

"Thank you, Alex. You better go on then, I'm sure you have a lot of work to do."

Alex thanked her professor for the drink and left. It was a full moon next week and Alex was praying Professor Lupin would be able to teach. She decided to go to Hagrid's hut and tell him about some information she and Hermione had found about hippogriff cases. She knocked on the door and heard sniffling inside.

"Who's there?" Hagrid called.

"It's Alex!"

The door opened and Alex saw Hermione sitting at Hagrid's table with notes in front of her, but noticed her eyes were wet.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Alex asked, joining her friend.

"N-Nothing," she stuttered, wiping her eyes. Alex raised her eyebrows at her and Hermione's lip trembled and she said with a mix of anger and sorrow, "It's just that, I feel horrible about everything! I hated having to take Harry's broom away and I've apologized, but neither of them forgives me! I feel horrible about Crookshanks scaring Scabbers half to death! And, to top it all off, I absolutely despise having to lie to everyone all the time!"

"Hermione, you can't do anything about Crookshanks. He's a cat and cats chase rats, end of story. Secondly, Harry'll come around once he realizes we were only looking out for him. Don't expect much from Ron until everything calms down, you know how he can be. And we're not lying about _him_," said Alex, stressing the "him" so that Hagrid wouldn't know that they were talking about Professor Lupin and his condition, "We're just not telling everyone about it."

"No, that's…that's not what I was talking about," Hermione said.

She looked from a confused Alex to Hagrid, who was taking a seat on the other side of Hermione. Seeming to make up her mind about something, Hermione pulled a long chain from around her neck and Alex saw a strange looking pendent.

"Do you know how I always seem to beat everyone to class?" Hermione asked and Alex nodded, "Well, this is why. It's a Time Turner, McGonagall gave it to me the beginning of this year. I turn the hourglass and I can go back and take all my lessons. McGonagall told me not to tell a soul, not even my friends, and she had to get all kinds of forms signed saying that I was a good student and would only use it for my lessons. So, you see, I had to lie to you otherwise McGonagall would get in trouble too."

Alex looked at the little hourglass and smiled. She should have known there was something her friend wasn't telling her. Alex told Hermione that it was perfectly fine and that she and Hagrid would not tell anyone. After spending some time going over the cases with Hagrid, both girls left and went back to the common room. As Alex pulled her bag toward her, she heard Ron and Harry talking.

"Lupin looked so pale when I saw him," Harry was telling Ron, "I don't know how he keeps getting sick."

Hermione heard as well and let out a sigh of annoyance. The boys turned to her, Ron glaring.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing," Hermione said with an air of superiority.

"What were you sighing about then?" Ron asked, "We were talking about Lupin and then you let out this annoyed sigh."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked, as though she were talking to a six year old who didn't know what two plus two was.

"What's so obvious?"

"I'm not going to tell you," Hermione snapped and moved to a farther table. Ron turned his angry gaze at Alex, while Harry looked extremely confused.

"Well, it _is _obvious," said Alex and went over to Hermione. After Ron had stormed off upstairs, Harry joined the girls.

"Can I sit here?" he asked.

"Do you hear something?" Alex said, ignoring Harry's question, "All I see is a boy who hasn't said a word to us because we're worried about him. Oh well, back to the grindstone."

"I get it," said Harry, "You're mad at me."

"No shit Sherlock. What gave you that idea?" Alex snapped, not even looking up.

"I'm sorry about ignoring you two. I was being a jerk and I feel bad about it," said Harry sincerely, "You were right, it's only a broom and McGonagall said I could have it back when she said it was safe."

Hermione accepted the apology and Harry turned to Alex, who was still writing an essay for Binns.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" said Alex, looking up with a smile, "Sit down already, Sherlock."

Harry grinned and watched as the two girls worked. He lifted up Alex's Arithmancy book and flipped through its pages.

"Why do you take this subject?" he asked, "It looks immensely complicated."

"But it's fascinating," Hermione said happily, "There's this one chapter where-"

But just then, there was a loud shout and Alex heard footsteps running down the boys' staircase. Ron was red in the face from anger and sadness.

"I can't find Scabbers upstairs," Ron said, actually more shouted, "But I did find blood on my sheets and these."

Ron held out a few ginger hairs that were seen all over the common room. They were Crookshanks'.

"What are you suggesting, Ron?" Alex asked suspiciously.

"I'm not suggesting, I'm telling you that Hermione's stupid cat ate Scabbers!" yelled Ron, "I told you to keep an eye out for him, but you never listened to me! Now look, my rat's gone!"

"Ron, have you looked everywhere?" asked Alex, seeing Hermione's large eyes fill up.

"Of course I looked everywhere!" snapped Ron, rounding on Alex, "What kind of owner do you think I am?"

"A loud one," muttered Alex under her breath and closed her eyes. She listened for any noise in the common room and the dormitories. All she heard were a few mice, Crookshanks, and owls.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked savagely.

"Looking for your rat," growled Alex, loosing her concentration.

"No you're not, you're just sitting there with your eyes closed."

"You forget that I can hear animals," Alex countered, "And your rat isn't in the Gryffindor area, so he must be hiding somewhere in the castle. Would you care to search every nook and cranny for him or would you like to do it my way?"

"He's not hiding, he's been eaten by that ugly cat. So unless your weird little animal powers can find a rat inside a cat, I guess you're not much help."

The entire common room went silent. Alex stood up and started putting her things away, her hands shaking slightly. Once she was packed up, she looked Ron in the eyes, a horrible flame behind her stormy grey ones. He had crossed an unspoken, but still known, boundary: never call Alex's ability to talk to animals "weird".

"You're lucky, Weasley," she whispered menacingly, her voice far more frightening than any shout, "Because right now, I could put you through a living hell. If you so much as look at me the wrong way, I will hit you with every curse I know. When I'm done with you, your own mother won't want anything to do with you. Instead, I'll only do this."

Making a fist, she punched Ron in the nose with all her strength, sending him stumbling backwards. He tripped over his feet and fell on the floor hard, holding a hand over his nose.

"Bloody hell, you broke my nose!" shouted Ron angrily, his voice thick.

"You're lucky I didn't do any permanent damage, you bastard!" shouted Alex, "Quit being a baby for the love of Merlin! Madame Pomfrey can mend that in the blink of an eye. What you did to me, that can't be fixed."

Without another word, she left the common room through the portrait hole, waited until it was closed, and sprinted off. She didn't care where she was going, just as long as it was far from Ron Weasley as humanly possible.

Alex reached a deserted corridor and stopped, pacing up and down. She just wanted a place where she could let off of steam, maybe even do some homework. Homework would keep her mind off of everything. As she paced, she glanced up and saw a door that she hadn't seen there before. Opening it, she saw an old grand piano, a bookshelf, and a beanbag chair. Going over to the piano, she played a key and was surprised to find it was in perfect tune. She set down her bag, pulled the stool toward her, and began playing.

Alex had taken lessons a very long time ago, before and after she came to England. However, she never enjoyed them because all her teachers ever told her to play were classical pieces that were more than six pages long. Eventually, Uncle Monty stopped the lessons and began giving her more modern music to play. Alex couldn't tell the difference between a minuet and a solfeggio, but she could play a pretty darn good version of "Hey Jude".

As her fingers went over the keys, Alex felt the stress of everything just fall away. She was in a new world in which no one thought her weird or different, she could do whatever she wanted. She played the final cord and let out a sigh, took out her books, and began her work.

_Author's Note: Hello readers! How are you all today? Hopefully this finds you all right. I can't believe that after this, there will be only six more chapters! We're starting to near the end now, but don't worry. There's plenty of fun stuff in store for this story. Please let me know what you thought of this. You should know by now that I love when my readers give me their thoughts or advice. :D_


	15. Chapter 14 TruthandJusticeWon'tBeServed

_Author's Note: I am not J.K Rowling. Anyone who has thought I was, sorry to disappoint._

Chapter 14 Trust and Justice Will Not Be Served

Alex finished her work and stretched, looking at her watch. She jumped up and grabbed her bag, not realizing it was an hour past curfew. She opened the door, became invisible, and sprinted as quietly as possible to the Gryffindor portrait hole. Once she gave the password, she climbed up the girls' staircase and found everyone awake playing a card game.

"Where were you?" Parvati asked, looking up from her hand.

"Doing homework," said Alex as she got ready for bed, "I didn't realize how late it was."

Once Alex had come out of the bathroom, she found all the girls in their beds, sound asleep. Since Alex was not the least bit tired, she took her Potions book and went to the common room. Finding her favorite squashy chair, she curled up by the fire and began reading, allowing herself to become lost in the words.

The portrait opened to her back and Alex stopped reading, looking at her watch again. It was three in the morning, who was just coming in at this ungodly hour? Alex listened as the footsteps crept slowly behind her. Someone obviously didn't want to be heard, but who? Alex held her breath as the unknown person went up the boys' staircase. She laid her head back and breathed a sigh of relief. If it was some seventh year boy, they would not have liked seeing her in the common room at this hour. Alex turned back to her reading, but stopped when she heard a boy's scream.

"ARGH! NOOOO!"

Footsteps hurried down the stairs and Alex turned in her chair, keeping in the shadows of the dying embers. A figure was running toward the portrait hole and left, Alex couldn't see their face. As soon as the door closed, Alex burst up the stairs and opened the third years' door.

All the boys were awake and Harry was standing at the foot of Ron's bed. Ron was shaking all over, panting out nonsense words.

"Black above me…knife…must've thought…I was Harry…tried to kill me."

Alex leaned back against the doorway, a hand on her head. The figure she saw running was Black, he was within feet of her and she didn't know it.

"Someone get McGonagall," Harry said hoarsely.

Alex nodded and turned around, almost running into Percy, who was wrapping a bathrobe around himself.

"What is going on in here? Alex, why are you in the boys' dormitory?" he asked suspiciously.

"Percy, Black was here. He tried to kill me!" Ron babbled, standing up and coming toward his brother.

"Nonsense, Ron," Percy said annoyed, "You were just dreaming. Now everyone, go back to bed."

"Percy," Alex said quietly, "I think Ron's right." She hated saying that but they were wasting time, Black was probably out of the castle by now. "I saw a figure leaving the portrait hole just after Ron screamed."

Percy looked from Alex, to Ron, to Harry and gave a heavy sigh. "Oh all right, I'll go talk to the portrait and see if he saw anything."

The boys and Alex followed Percy to the common room where groups of students were gathered, talking amongst themselves. Just then, McGonagall came in and looked around at all the students out of bed.

"What is going on here?" she questioned, looking very angry, "Why is everyone out of bed?"

"Professor, my brother thinks that he saw-"

"I don't think that I saw, I know it! I wasn't dreaming!" Ron cried out.

"What did you see, Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

"I saw Sirius Black, with a knife, standing over my bed," Ron said slowly and loudly so everyone could hear.

McGonagall looked questioningly at the red-head and went through the portrait hole.

"Sir," she asked the portrait who had been filling in for the Fat Lady since the attack, "Did you let a man into this room just a few minutes ago?"

"Yes madam, I most certainly did. He had all the passwords written down on a sheet of paper," the portrait said.

McGonagall came back, white with anger and breathing heavily. Alex would not have been surprised if fire started coming out of the Transfiguration teacher's nostrils.

"Who was the student, the careless Gryffindor, who left the passwords lying around for someone to find?" she asked.

A trembling Neville raised his hand and Alex felt sorry. Neville had managed to convince the portrait to tell him the passwords for the month so he wouldn't forget, and had written them down. Everyone quickly fled the scene, including Alex, but as she lay awake she could hear the shouts of McGonagall from the common room below.

…...

It was that Sunday after the second attack and Alex was walking to the pitch with Hermione for the match against Ravenclaw. Ron and the girls had not spoken a word to each other since that night in the common room. According to Hermione, Ron went to see Madame Pomfrey after Alex stormed out and had his nose fixed as if nothing had happened. Alex had taken to talking through Harry if, on some random occasion, she did have something to say to Ron.

The girls found seat next to Neville and sat down. Ever since the attack, most of the Gryffindors had avoided Neville. McGonagall had been so angry that she took away Neville's privileges to Hogsmede as well as wrote to his grandmother. Just that morning, he had received a Howler that had made Mrs. Weasley's look like she was merely having a friendly chat.

"Hi Neville," Alex said cheerfully, "Wonderful day for Quidditch, isn't it?"

"I guess," Neville said sadly, turning red in the face.

The teams came out and the game began. Alex missed actually playing, but was content to watch the action. She was glad Katie had made a full recovery. The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, was very fast. Alex was thankful that McGonagall had given Harry's broom back finally. It was almost a half an hour into the match when Alex saw Harry dive for the Snitch, Chang following. As they dove, Alex saw a black figure on the field and gasped. Two hooded dementors were walking on the field. Alex whipped out her wand, pointed it at the dementors, and shouted, "_Expecto Patronum!_" thinking once again of the dream she had about her mother. Her dog patronus sprang forth, followed by another blinding white figure. Alex looked up and saw Harry's wand out as he reached and caught the Snitch. She shouted cheers until her voice was sore. She then turned and saw the dementors on the ground with their feet sticking out.

"Wait a minute," said Hermione to Alex, "I didn't know they had feet."

"They don't," Alex said with a frown.

"Look, there's something wrong with them," said Neville, pointing at them.

Alex looked and saw four people come out of the two cloaks, one of them was unmistakably Draco Malfoy.

"Oh that little shit," Alex snarled angrily, "Next time I see him, I'm going to murder him!"

The crowd was moving onto the field to congratulate the Gryffindors on their victory. Now they were second in the league behind Slytherin. Alex and Hermione were pushed onto the field and Alex ran up to Harry with a large smile.

"Harry, you were great! Was that your partonus?" she asked.

"Yeah, the dementors didn't affect me at all," he said proudly.

"You didn't see?" Hermione asked and pointed to the four Slytherins who were getting a reprimand from the Gryffindor Head of House.

Harry laughed and the three left the field. Up ahead, Ron was standing with Fred and George. Alex's smile faded and she and Hermione picked up their pace, practically running right by the Weasley's as Alex slammed her shoulder into Ron. Fred and George watched, looking curiously from their brother to the girls, and ran after Alex and Hermione.

"Alex, Hermione! What's up?" Fred asked, "You look like women on a mission."

"Nothing," Alex said icily, "We would just prefer not to have to converse with that moron you call a brother."

"What did he do now?" asked George in a bored voice, as though he got this all the time.

"I don't want to talk about it," Alex said and forced a half smile on her face, "I'll see you guys at the common room."

They went through the portrait hole and saw that the students had begun preparing for a celebration. Alex helped with the decorations while Hermione plowed through her mountain of homework. All the classes she had taken were starting to catch up to her. There simply was not enough time during the night to finish all her work. Alex had suggested that Hermione use the time turner to get a few extra hours in the day, but she refused saying it was only supposed to be used for getting to her classes. Once the room began filling up, Alex took her cloak, a hat, a pair of gloves, and went outside for a walk in the snow. Now that Alex could defend herself against any wandering dementors, she felt so much more free.

Alex walked to the lake and stood under a nearby tree. She heard the ice cracking as the giant squid tried to break free. She closed her eyes and she could see the squid, using all its strength to break the thick layer above.

_"You're going to have to wait until it thaws out more buddy,"_ Alex thought to herself.

_"I'm strong enough, I can break it. Just watch me,"_ the squid said back and there was a loud _CRACK_ and the ice broke through.

_"Whoa,"_ Alex told the creature with her mind, _"That was awesome!"_

The squid responded by lifting one of his tentacles out of the water and gave her a wave good-bye before disappearing from sight and mind. She turned around and saw another tree far off, moving in the breeze. The only problem was there was no breeze, not even the faintest wind. Alex began walking toward it, when a voice called her name. She turned and saw Professor Lupin in a shabby coat striding toward her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I was just going to look at the tree over there," said Alex and pointed at the moving tree.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Lupin said gravely, "That's the Whomping Willow."

"Is it really?" Alex asked with interest, looking at it again, "Harry and Ron told me about it last year. It nearly killed them and practically totaled the car they were in."

"It was planted the year I came," said Lupin, a shadow passing over is pale face, "People used to play a game seeing who could touch the tree trunk without being hit. One boy almost lost his eye and we were forbidden to go near it."

"Did you see the match today?" Alex asked, changing the subject to a more favorable one.

"I did," he said and smiled, "That was a great patronus you and Harry produced. You both had made such an improvement, maybe next week you and I can try some different spells."

They walked back to the castle, discussing advanced spells that Alex would attempt to learn. As they reached the Entrance Hall, Snape was going into the dungeons. He looked from Lupin to Alex with pure hatred and left. This strange action sparked a question in Alex, but she didn't think it polite to ask. Something must have shown on her face because Professor Lupin frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

"No sir…actually there is," said Alex, "Why does Sna-I mean Professor Snape hate you so much? And please don't say I'm mistaken because he gives you the same look he gives Harry and I, which is pure disgust."

"I wasn't going to say you were wrong," Lupin said with a frown, "You see, Professor Snape and I went to school together, same year but different houses. I was friends with your mother and aunt as well as Harry's parents. Our houses didn't exactly get along so we never got along."

"Something never change," said Alex with a smile, "Slytherins and Gryffindors still hate each other."

They said good-bye and Alex went to her common room to find it empty except for Harry and Ron, who were by the fire busily working on a star chart, and Hermione, who was asleep on her books. Alex went over to her and gently shook her awake. Hermione woke with a start and the two girls went upstairs to find all the other girls asleep.

…...

January changed into February and the castle was as cold as ever. Alex was sitting in the common room with her cloak wrapped tightly around her and turning the pages of a book with gloved hands, even though a fire was burning merrily. People all around her were talking excitedly about the next Hogsmede trip that weekend. Alex really wanted to go but after what happened last time, she thought it best to stay indoors. Security was tighter than ever after the last attack. Filch was boarding up every crack in the walls and yet Alex couldn't help noticing that the one-eyed witch passage remained unknown. This fact did not go unnoticed by both Harry and Ron, who were now discussing whether or not they should use the passage to get Harry to Hogsmede.

"Come on Harry," Ron urged his friend, "It'll be great, you haven't even seen the Shrieking Shack yet!"

"Harry, don't do it," said Hermione, who had looked up from her homework, "You'll get in trouble if you do. I'll…I'll tell Professor McGonagall about the map."

"Is that what you do when good things happen to others? Do you run to McGonagall and tell on people?" Ron fired back.

Hermione opened her mouth but just then, Crookshanks jumped up on her lap. She looked fearfully at Ron and fled to her room, tears in her eyes. Rolling her eyes, Alex took Hermione's books and turned to Ron.

"You're a foul little flubberworm," said Alex, calling Ron the fat, ugly worms they were taking care of in Care of Magical Creatures class, "You're stupid, and heartless, and cruel."

Alex laughed coldly as Ron shrunk away from her, turned on her heel, and took Hermione her books, finding her friend on her bed crying.

"Come on," said Alex in the hopes that Hermione would cheer up, "We all know Ron's a moron. Let's go to Hagrid's so we can help him prepare for the case tomorrow."

The girls left the dormitory and spent most of the night going over facts and writing down dates on note cards with Hagrid. Glad it was Friday, Alex fell asleep in her bed as soon as she hit the pillow.

…...

That morning, all the girls in the dormitory woke up well after the time breakfast was served. All five spent the in-between hours getting ready and, in Hermione's case, doing some extra homework. Then they went down to lunch and watched as the mail came by way of many owls. Lavender got the _Daily Prophet_ and went straight to the advice columns, leaving the news section for the others to fight for. Alex managed to get an article about how they were still looking for Black while Maggie's was more interesting.

"_Mine_ says that they're debating about passing a law against half-breeds having steady paying jobs," bragged Maggie after everyone else read theirs aloud, "And about time too, my mum says they've been saying things like that for years but have never done a thing."

"Why is that good?" Hermione asked, "They're people too. They need money to pay for their expenses."

"What expenses?" drawled Maggie with a wicked smile, "Werewolves are pack creatures and live with others like them in dens in Merlin-knows where. Any loners who try to live among us are stupid."

"No, they're normal," snapped Alex, "Just because they want to live a normal life, you think their stupid? I think they are braver than the ones who cower in their caves with friends like them to back them up. Here, they have no one who truly understands them and frankly, I feel sorry for them especially when there's people like you and your mother who treat them like mud. So what if they're a little different?"

"A little different?" said Maggie angrily, "They are nothing like us! They don't have the capacity to feel anything but hunger for human flesh. You wouldn't understand, being raised like a filthy Muggle your whole life. You don't know about how people have been brutally murdered by werewolves."

"That's only when they are transformed," countered Alex, all the anger that had been bottled up finally coming out, "What about when the full moon isn't out, what about the other twenty-nine or thirty days they are human? Honestly people, they are only vicious during the full moon and there are potions you can take that allow the werewolf to keep their human mind during the transformation! Why can't people see that werewolves are only as bad as they are in the movies? Or those who don't take the precautions and give the others a bad reputation?"

The table was silent, all staring at her in awe. She finished her eggs and left the table in a huff. How could people be so cruel? Why didn't they understand that it was only a few people who made the rest of the group seem so evil?

Alex went to the hallway where she had been when Ron had insulted her. She looked all around and couldn't find the door, pacing back and forth to find it. On her third rotation, she saw it and opened it, vaguely wondering why she hadn't seen it before. The room was the same as last time and she headed straight for the piano.

She stayed there until the red sun started coming in through a window. Alex got up and left, finding Hermione in the common room with an unfamiliar owl on the table.

"Who's it from?" she asked.

"Hold on," said Hermione as she opened the letter. As her well-trained eyes went across the parchment, she let out a dry sob and handed the paper to Alex.

_Dear Alex and Hermione,_

_We lost the trial today. There's an appeal, but we don't have any chance against these people. Buckbeak loved London and I'm glad. Don't come down to see me, it's getting dark out. Thank you for all your help._

_Hagrid_

"He lost?" whispered Alex, setting down the parchment, "How? We had a very strong case, there was no way he could have lost! This must be some mistake, we need to go now."

Hermione was crying silently while Alex ranted. Alex took her friend's arm and dragged her out the portrait hole, where they almost ran into Harry and Ron.

"Going to tell on us again?" said Ron angrily.

"Piss off Weasley! We don't have time for your stupidity right now," snarled Alex, tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked, seeing her tearstained cheeks.

"Hagrid l-lost the trial," stammered Hermione, "Buckbeak's g-going to be e-executed."

There was silence as the boys read the note Hagrid had sent. Alex was leaning on Hermione, shoulders shaking. This couldn't be happening, all because Malfoy was a little over dramatic.

"What are we going to do?" said Hermione as she patted Alex on the back while wiping her own eyes, "If he lost the trial with strong evidence, how is he going to win the appeal?"

"He will," said Ron, "Because you two aren't going to be doing all the work. Harry and I are going to help you."

Hermione looked up and hugged him, breaking down completely. Alex looked and saw a very awkward Ron holding a sobbing Hermione.

"Oh Ron, I'm sorry about Scabbers, I really am! And I'm sorry about the Firebolt too, I just…" Hermione had to stop as another wave of sobbing overcame her.

"It's all right, Hermione," said Ron, still very awkward, "Scabbers was old, maybe mum and dad'll let me have an owl now."

Hermione laughed and let go, wiping her eyes. Ron then turned to Alex, who was still looking at him like she would a rather large, ugly bug.

"I'm sorry I insulted you, Alex," he said sincerely, "I was just upset over Scabbers that I wasn't thinking straight."

"I was only trying to help you know," said Alex coldly, "What you said was low, lower than I would have ever thought of you, Ron. I'll only half forgive you, the other half needs to be earned back. You need to know how badly you can hurt someone with words." Ron nodded as though he knew this was coming and Alex said, "Now let's go see Hagrid. Harry, you better get the cloak and the map."

"Um, it's a funny story actually," said Harry, laughing nervously, "You see, Ron and I went to Hogsmede today and ran into Malfoy. I decided I'd scare him a little and threw mud on him. In all the excitement, the hood of my cloak fell off and he saw my head floating in mid-air. I ran back to the castle and left my cloak by the passage. I barely got out when Snape saw me and took me back to his office. Long story short, Lupin knows about the map and confiscated it. I don't want to go back and get my cloak until I know Snape's not going to be snooping around the area."

Alex and Hermione looked at each other and laughed. It was so stupid what happened, it was funny.

"That's what you get," Hermione gasped out, "I told you not to go, but does anyone except Alex listen to me? NO!"

"Okay, come here you two," said Alex as she and Hermione pulled out their Invisibility necklaces. They made the chains longer and put them around the boys' necks. They walked shoulder to shoulder, Alex with Harry and Hermione with Ron, down to the grounds and knocked on Hagrid's door. He opened and the four reveled themselves and entered.

"I told yeh not ta come," said Hagrid, but he seemed relieved nonetheless.

Buckbeak was sleeping on Hagrid's bed when they entered and the four third years bowed, the hippogriff returning it.

"How are you, Hagrid?" Hermione asked gently, "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Well, I went up and did me speech, but I kept droppin' the cards an' forgettin' where I was. I don't even think they was payin' me any attention. Then Lucius Malfoy came up an' said how horrible Buckbeak was an' how badly hurt his son was. I knew as soon as Malfoy came up ta talk it was over. I'm just tryin' ta make Buckbeak's last days the happiest a hippogriff could ask for."

"But what about the appeal?" Ron asked earnestly, "Don't give up Hagrid, things'll be better this time, I promise."

Alex saw Hermione smile and she hoped, for everyone else's sake, things would get better.

_Author's Note: I know this is a bit of a filler chapter but the next chapter is much more exciting, I promise! Still, I'd love to know what you all thought. Anyone catch my AVPM reference? If you did, let me know. I'm curious as to how many of my fans have seen the musical. :)_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. A lot of you seemed to enjoy Ron getting punched in the nose by Alex, so thank you! That was something I added in at the end so I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Also, thank you to those who put me in their favorites or on alert. If you haven't reviewed before, please feel free to do so. I love hearing from you all! :D_


	16. Chapter 15 The Appeal Gone Wrong

_Author's Note: All I own is Alex and the stuff you don't recognize. Also, to _rockerchick143,_ I believe I told you that Alex's "I'll-take-you-on-if-you-piss-me-off-no-matter-how-big-you-are attitude" would come back again. Well, this was what I was talking about. Enjoy! :D_

Chapter 15 The Appeal Gone Wrong

Ron was true to his word. Both he and Harry, when he wasn't training for the Quidditch final, spent much of their time in the library working on the appeal. Hermione had to spend her full energy on the mountain range of homework she got every night and Alex spent most of her time in the library or in Professor Nellie's room trying to get the lessons straight before the final exam.

As the month dragged on, Alex felt herself slipping father and farther behind in Arithmancy. Without Hermione to help her with homework each night, Alex would spend hours into the night doing to work by herself. It also wasn't helping that Malfoy seemed to sense her struggle and would proudly show off his tests while Alex shoved them into her bag as quickly as possible, not wanting him to see that she barely scraped an "Acceptable", the last passing grade.

When March changed to April, the air began to get warmer. However, the atmosphere in the school was anything but. The entire school began preparing for the showdown of the year: Slytherin versus Gryffindor. But there was another tension among four students, and it had nothing to do with Quidditch. The appeal was the last week in April and Ron could be found pouring over books in the library, a sight that his brothers and sister had to see for themselves.

"I can't believe it," whispered Fred, who was standing over Ron's right shoulder, his twin on the other side.

"I know," said George, stunned by what he was seeing, "He actually can read, and not just Quidditch magazines. Hermione must be rubbing off on you."

"Piss off!" snarled Ron and Ginny chuckled, getting up from her seat across from her brother.

"Looks like Alex is rubbing off on you as well," the redhead girl said with a smirk, winking at her friend who grinned back with a shrug.

The day of the final came and Alex woke up early. She dressed in a red and gold striped rugby shirt along with a pair of jeans she had sewn red and gold ribbon on the night before. She then grabbed anything she had with her house colors and went down to the common room. Harry and the rest of the team were sitting around while Oliver paced up and down the room. Fred and George were putting face paint on an innocent first year, using words that a small Gryffindor should not read aloud.

"Guys, McGonagall won't be happy about this," said Alex warningly, but was trying not to laugh.

"What does it say?" the little boy asked and looked in a mirror that Fred pulled out, "Snape's mother…and a broomstick?"

"Forget you ever saw that," said Alex and removed the paint with a wave of her wand, "Boys, give me the paint and everyone line up."

She began painting war stripes under the team's eyes, one side red and the other side gold. She then transfigured a broken quill into a paintbrush and painted a lion on the boy's cheek. She pointed her wand at it, muttered a spell, and the lion started pacing around, growling.

Soon there was a line for Alex to paint peoples' faces and each idea was more dramatic than the last until one second year wanted her to paint a lion ripping a snake on his chest. She had to tell him no because she had to go eat. Hermione was waiting beside the portrait hole with Ron and Harry and they all left together. After they ate, Harry went off with the team and Ron, Hermione, and Alex went to get good seats. As he was leaving, Alex saw that Harry was extremely pale.

"Harry, you'll be fine," Alex said, thumping him on the back, "Why do you look so nervous? You have the best broom in the world against Malfoy's Nimbus 2001!"

"I didn't sleep well last night," said Harry quietly, "I saw…I saw the Grim."

"Oh come on, Harry," said Alex while rolling her eyes, "You don't honestly believe in that crap that Trelawney was saying, do you? The Grim isn't real!"

I've seen it before, Alex. And whenever I do, something bad always happens to me."

Before Alex could say anything, Harry was whisked away by Wood and she ran after Ron and Hermione toward the seats. Ron was showing Neville the picture of two lion cubs playing tug-of-war with a snake on his arm when the teams came out.

"AND THERE OFF! BELL PASSES TO JOHNSON, JOHNSON BACK TO BELL, SHE'S GOING TO THE GOAL! SHE SHOOTS…AND IT'S BLOCKED BY THAT IDIOT THEY CALL A KEEPER!"

There were cheers on the Slytherin side while Alex and every other Gryffindor booed loudly. Even the other Houses were booing because no one wanted to see Slytherin win the Quidditch Cup. Alex looked around and saw Harry and Malfoy circling the stadium, each watching the other in case they made a dive for it.

"SO MONTAGUE HAS THE QUAFFLE, HE'S GOING TO THE GOAL. COME ON OLIVER…AND HE BLOCKS IT! THAT WAS AN AMAZING SAVE BY THE GRYFFINDOR KEEPER! WAY TO GO OL-"

_WHAM! _Alex saw a Bludger hit Wood just as he was throwing the ball to Angelina. Wood fell to the ground but managed to sit up, looking winded. Madame Hooch awarded a penalty to Gryffindor and they scored. It was 10-0 Gryffindor.

"SO AFTER THAT OBVIOUS SABATOGUE,"

"Jordan!" McGonagall said warningly.

"SORRY PROFESSOR. SPINNET HAS THE BALL, AFTER THAT GREAT PENALTY SHOT BY JOHNSON. SPINNET GOES TO THE GOAL, SHE GOES FOR IT…AND SHE SCORES! 20-0 GRYFFINDOR!"

The game continued and when the Gryffindors called a time-out, the score was tied 20-20. Once the game continued, it was a bloodbath. Slytherin Beaters were attacking Gryffindor chasers who were nowhere near the Quaffle. Madame Hooch was so focused on the Chasers that she didn't even notice that Malfoy had elbowed Harry in the ribs many times when they passed each other. However, the Slytherins were not the only ones to blame. Fred and George were just as bad as the other Beaters, sending Bludgers at the other Beaters as well as Malfoy once in a while. Every few seconds, there was a whistle blowing for a penalty.

Even though all of this, Gryffindor managed to pull away to an 80-50 lead, and out of nowhere, Harry dove. Alex looked around and saw the Snitch. Malfoy was right on Harry's tail, but the Firebolt was showing its speed now. Harry reached as far as he could go and grasped the little golden ball.

The entire stadium burst into noise. The Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and the Gryffindors were cheering so loudly that they drowned out the booing of the Slytherins. Alex ran to the barrier and hopped over it, running at Harry with a smile. They had won, the Quidditch Cup was theirs after so many years. Alex joined the team in putting Harry on their shoulders and starting a chant of, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!"

"You did it Harry!" Alex shouted up at him, "You won the Cup for Gryffindor! You've made your parents proud, I know it!"

The Gryffindors cheered all the way to the common room where they celebrated with a party until McGonagall came in and told everyone to go to bed.

…...

Now that the Quidditch season was over, everyone began studying hard for the end-of-the-year exams. Alex found herself spending many extra hours in Professor Nellie's classroom as he went over with her how to do number charts. The whole month of April was one large study session, even during Easter break Alex and the others were working in the library.

It was the day before Easter and Harry, Hermione, Alex, and Ron took a break from their studying to visit Hagrid. They found him very upset because he had to sell the other hippogriffs he had bought.

"Firs' Buckbeak and now this!" he said and had to excuse himself to blow his nose, sounding like a foghorn.

Alex said a private farewell to Firefeathers and watched as they were taken away by very large men, Hagrid's shoulders shaking. Needless to say, Alex was very emotional after that experience and was still so as they walked up to the castle. She saw Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, sniggering as they walked past.

"Look at that blubbering moron," Malfoy said as they came close, "He's supposed to be our teacher for Merlin's sake!"

Something in the girls snapped. Hermione took two large steps toward Malfoy and slapped him across the face. Malfoy stumbled backward, shock evident on his sickly face.

"Oh Hermione, you can do so much better than that," sneered Alex, "Watch and learn."

Alex then grabbed Malfoy's arms and kneed him hard in a place where boys do not like to get hit. Malfoy doubled over and Crabbe and Goyle watched, not sure what to do as both girls pointed their wands at the Slytherins.

"Don't you ever, _ever_, call Hagrid a moron!" shouted Hermione, her wand arm shaking.

"You think you're so cool when you say those things," said Alex, her voice wavering but her arm still, "But you look and sound so childish and stupid! Now, get out of here before Hermione and I turn you into something only your mother will love, which isn't saying much since she manages to love you all as you are."

"You'll pay for this!" Malfoy gasped, his voice a few octaves higher than before.

"Save it for someone who cares," snapped Hermione.

"For the love of Merlin, shut your God awful, lopsided mouth for one in your life!" Alex added furiously.

The three Slytherins left and Alex put her wand away. As she did so, her eyes caught the edge of the forest where she saw Crookshanks and something else much larger. Alex strained her eyes to see but it blended right in with the dark trees.

"Come on Alex," Harry said and Alex looked at him. Both he and Ron were wearing looks of shock and awe, "At least he can sing soprano now."

Alex laughed and went back to the castle, but was soon sitting at a desk with books piled all around her. It wasn't as bad as Hermione. Even though she had dropped Divination (she up and left the day before Easter break started), she was still taking the most classes out of the third years.

Whenever asked how she was getting to all her classes, Hermione would either ignore the question or snap at the person to leave her alone. This was usually Ron or Harry who asked, even though they had stopped long ago because they knew they wouldn't get an answer.

However, when the Gryffindors got their exam schedule, Ron happened to look over at Hermione's and the famous question was asked.

"Hermione, how are you going to get to all your exams? Your Ancient Runes and Transfiguration are both at nine o' clock!"

"Honestly Ron," said Hermione impatiently, "I have everything sorted out. Don't you believe that I know what I'm doing?"

Ron opened his mouth to speak but Alex shot him a warning look and Harry kicked him in the shins.

…...

The exam week came and went as quick and stressful as in their first year (seeing as their second year exams were cancelled due to a number of attacks). Alex knew she did very well in her all her exams, except for the ones she had not taken yet and History of Magic. No matter how hard Alex studied for that class, she could not remember all those names and dates.

The last day of exams was also the day of the appeal hearing. It was also the day of Alex's Arithmancy exam and Defense Against the Dark Arts practical exam. When Professor Nellie called for quills down, Alex gave a sigh of relief. She thought she did fairly well, not as well as her Care of Magical Creatures exam, but better than History of Magic. As she waited for Hermione to pack up so they could walk to their final exam, Malfoy walked by with a look on his face that was a cross between smugness and fear.

"Hey Malfoy," Alex asked and he turned to her, "How's your voice?"

"All better," he said and it was. It had returned to its normal tone with maybe even a touch of deepness in it, "What exam do you have next?"

"The Defense Against the Dark Arts practical," said Alex suspiciously.

"Well, good luck then. It's not really that hard if you paid attention in class, which you probably did. See you around."

Alex stared after him, her mouth open. Did Draco Malfoy, the worst Slytherin in the history of Hogwarts, just wish her good luck on an exam?

"Ready?" Hermione asked and saw the surprised look on her friend's face, "What is it? Your jaw is touching to floor."

"I think Malfoy was just nice to me," said Alex as they walked outdoors to their exam, "He wished me good luck and said I'll do well if I paid attention in class, which I probably do. Is the world coming to an end? Is the sky about to fall?" Alex looked up at the clear blue sky as though a chunk of it were to fall down to earth.

"He's trying to psych you out," said Hermione rationally, "He wants you to dwell on him being nice to you so you'll fail the exam. Don't think about it."

Alex nodded and they arrived at the appointed spot. It resembled an obstacle course, with each obstacle being a different creature they had learned about that year. Alex went through the course with ease and came out of the boggart obstacle with a huge grin on her face. She saw Harry and Lupin waiting for her.

"Excellent Alex," Professor Lupin said, looking extremely pale and haggard, but giving her a small smile, "You received full marks."

Ron managed to get lost in the bog and was almost drowned by a grindilow and Hermione came out of the boggart closet crying because the boggart McGonagall told her she had failed every exam. It took her a few minutes to calm down and then the four went to the castle to drop their stuff off. When they entered the Great Hall, they saw three men standing there, talking. One was a bent old man with a cane, who had a noticeable tremor throughout his body. The second was a man in his mid-forties wearing long black robes and had a gruesome smile on his colorless face. The last man was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself. He looked up as the four entered and smiled at Harry in a fatherly way that made Alex angry inside.

"Ah Harry, my boy, I see you've just come from your exams. Was that your last one?"

"Yes sir," said Harry, obviously not liking being called, "my boy".

"Yes, a wonderful day today. What a shame it has to be ruined," the minister said and stood up straighter, "You may or may not know this, Harry, but we are on a very important errand today."

"It's the appeal for Hagrid's hippogriff, Buckbeak," said Alex with a touch of chill in her tome.

"So you do know," said Fudge, looking at Alex with curiosity, "Yes, it is a shame but we must uphold the law and dangerous animals must be dealt with."

At this statement, the younger stranger pulled back his robe to revel a large, sharp axe. His smile grew as Alex looked wide-eyed at the axe to the minister.

"But sir," said Alex almost pleadingly, "I thought today was the appeal. Why is the executioner here? Hagrid still has a chance to convince you that you're making a terrible mistake."

"I don't believe we've met," Fudge said.

"I'm Alex Ratcliff, my uncle works for you."

"Well Alex, today _is_ the appeal but it won't take very long."

"But," Ron said, "What if-?"

"It was nice to meet you all," said Hermione and she dragged the other three away from the men.

"What are you doing?" said Alex as they reached the common room, "Did you hear them? They've already decided to kill Buckbeak and they haven't heard the appeal yet! We have to do something!"

"You can't start telling off the Minister of Magic, Alex," said Hermione, "Not only is he the head of the entire magical world, he's your uncle's boss. And Ron, he's your dad's boss too. You both can't just start going on about how biased they are."

"We need to see Hagrid," said Ron determinedly, "He needs us! You saw how he was when we left."

"But Harry and Alex can't leave the castle without a teacher," said Hermione.

"Hermione, you forget we have the power of invisibility," Alex said, holing out her necklace, "But I don't think we should keep enlarging the chain. It might be bad for the necklace."

"My cloak's still by the statue," said Harry, "I haven't had the chance to get it."

Hermione got up and left. The boys turned to Alex who shrugged. She was just as confused as they were. A few minutes later, Hermione came back holding Harry's Invisibility Cloak with a smile.

"All right, who are you and what have you done with our Hermione?" asked Ron impressed, "You slap Malfoy, help break the rules for Alex and Harry, and sneak out to get Harry's cloak!"

"Thanks Ron," said Hermione with a smile, "Now let's go before it gets too dark."

"There she is," Alex said while throwing an arm around her friend's shoulders, "We thought we lost you there for a moment. Only our Hermione would make sure to tell us we needed to be back in the castle before dark."

The boys got under the cloak and the girls turned the knobs to the right. Quietly and quickly, the four left the common room and went out onto the grounds. They reached Hagrid's hut and Alex knocked. Hagrid opened the door and looked around, not seeing anyone. He was about to close the door when he stopped.

"Harry? Ron? Hermione? Alex? Is tha' you four?"

"It is," whispered Hermione, "We've come to keep you company."

"We want to be there when…when it happens, Hagrid," said Alex shakily, "You deserve to have friends by your side."

"No, yeh can't stay. Yeh can come in now, but I won't let yeh watch. It'll be worse if yeh do." He opened the door wider and they entered. Alex became visible again and went over to Buckbeak, who was sitting in a corner of the room. He could tell something was wrong.

_"I sense tension,"_ said Buckbeak to Alex, talking to her before she even bowed, _"Is there something wrong with Hagrid?"_

_"No Buckbeak,"_ Alex said, holding back tears and biting her lip, _"Everything'll be fine, I promise you that. Just enjoy yourself, all right? Be good for Hagrid and remember that he loves you more than you could ever know, as do we all."_

She hugged the hippogriff and led him outside to tie him to a post, tears streaming down her face and she wiped them away before Hagrid could see. When she returned to the table, she found Ron holding a small animal in his hands.

"Scabbers! He's alive!" Ron was saying happily.

"Yeh need ta watch over yer pets better," said Hagrid seriously, "Found him while I was cleanin' out the cupboards yesterday."

Ron pocketed the rat and there was a knock on the door. Hagrid turned green and the four Gryffindors immediately became invisible.

"Hagrid," whispered Alex as they went out the back door, "Everything will be fine."

Her giant friend nodded and opened the front door just as the others were leaving through the back. Alex gave one last look at Buckbeak and ran up the hill to the castle. She wanted to get as far away as possible before anything happened. A couple of times, Ron stopped to keep Scabbers in his pocket, causing Harry and the others to wait.

"Ron," said Harry, pale under the cloak, "Get a move on."

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it," Hermione whispered over and over again, shaking.

"He…won't…stay," said Ron as he fought, "Come on buddy."

Far off, Alex heard the _THUMP _of an axe and Hagrid's cries. They had done it, they actually executed Buckbeak. Suddenly, her legs became weak and she fell to her knees, her breath coming in short gasps.

"How could they?" Hermione sobbed into her hands, "He did nothing wrong!"

Alex kneeled there crying silent tears. She cried for Buckbeak and Hagrid, of course, but also for all the innocent who had been wrongly punished for a crime they didn't commit. Alex wasn't naïve; she knew there were people who were thrown in jail when they were innocent. But it was something entirely different to be a friend of such a person, or in her case, such an animal.

"OUCH!" Ron gasped, holding his finger as Scabbers fell to the ground and ran away, "He bit me! Scabbers, come back here!"

"Ron!" said Hermione as they tore after him, Ron coming out from the cloak as he tore after his rat, "What if someone sees you? Ron, get back under the cloak!"

Ron dove down and Alex stopped, panting. Ron held a wriggling Scabbers in his hands and Alex could finally understand what the rat was saying. It was the same words again and again, _"He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!"_

_"Who's going to kill you?"_ Alex asked.

_"Him! He's been looking for me and now he has me!"_

_"Ron's not going to kill you,"_ said Alex, appalled, _"He missed you terribly!"_

Before Scabbers could reply, Alex heard the soft thumping of padded feet and spun around to see a black blur bounding at Harry and Ron. The blur jumped on Harry's chest and rolled over. That was when Alex recognized the thing.

"Orion? Orion!" Alex shouted happily, running toward her dog.

The dog completely ignored her and went at Ron, sinking his teeth into Ron's leg and dragging him like a doll. Ron flailed him arms and tried to grab onto something. The dog went to a tree, Alex, Harry, and Hermione following. Alex was screaming at Orion to stop and let go. She was in front and was the first to get hit by the branch.

The force of the hit sent Alex high up into the air and she landed with her right leg underneath her body. The result was a loud _CRACK_ and extreme pain in her leg. Slowly, Alex pulled her leg out from underneath of her and looked down in horror. Her shin looked like someone had bent it to the left and some areas looked caved in. It was broken in at least two places. She heard her friends getting hit as well and looked to see that they were near the Whomping Willow.

Alex watched as Ron's leg gave the sound of a whip cracking as he disappeared below the tree. Then, an orange streak dodged the flailing tree limbs and suddenly, the tree froze. Alex looked closely and saw Crookshanks with his paws up against a bulge in the tree. Harry and Hermione ran toward Alex and helped her up.

"We need to take her to the Hospital Wing," said Hermione with a fair share of scratches on her face and arms.

"But what about Ron?" Harry asked, "That thing dragged him down, we need to go after him. He's injured too! You heard that sound, that was his leg! You take Alex and I'll go after Ron."

"I'm all right," said Alex shakily. She pulled out her wand and transfigured two sticks into crutches, "That's my dog in there, I need to get him out."

Seeing that she was determined, the others didn't argue. They walked to the still frozen tree and went down a dark tunnel. The three lighted their wand tips and began their journey into the unknown.

_Author's Note: Ah cliffhangers, how I love you! I know you all don't, but you have to have a little suspense every once in a while. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Anyone get enjoyment out of Alex attacking Malfoy? I couldn't let Hermione have all the fun this time around. ;) Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did writing it. :D_


	17. Chapter 16 The Shrieking Shack

_Author's Note: I wish I could say I was J.K Rowling, but then a ton of people would sue me and that wouldn't be fun at all. To all of those who wanted to know answers, this chapter should provide most of them. This is my final plea for you all to make sure you have read _Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale _before continuing with this. It will make so much more sense if you do. Enjoy!_

Chapter 16 The Shrieking Shack

As they went, the tunnel became lower until Alex was forced to crawl while dragging her useless leg behind her. Finally, they reached an opening and they entered a very worn and torn room. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls and the floors were dusty, except for a fresh pair of dog prints and a thick line where Ron must have been dragged. Harry and Hermione helped Alex out of the hole and gave her the crutches she had transfigured.

A noise above them made Alex start, holding her wand out in front of her. Alex looked around and noticed not only that the room was dusty, but it was dilapidated. There was a sofa with a chunk missing from its arm, the stuffing all over the floor.

"Whoever lives here must not get a lot of company," said Alex quietly, "Where are we?"

"I think," breathed Hermione, holding onto Harry's jacket, "We're in the Shrieking Shack."

Harry led the way up the stairs with Hermione still clinging, Alex following behind slowly but surely. They reached the second floor landing and heard shuffling in the room across the hall. Harry opened the door and they saw Ron in a corner on the ground, holding his obviously broken leg.

Harry and Hermione ran to Ron, checking on him while Alex leaned against the wall, panting from the effort of going up the stairs. She looked around and saw something black through a large hole on the other side of the door. On closer inspection, Alex saw a pair of legs.

"Not a dog," she heard Ron moan, "An animagus. Black's here and he's come for you and Alex."

The door closed with a snap and Alex backed away, falling over in the process and biting her lip hard to keep herself from crying out in pain. A very skinny and pallid Sirius Black stood before them, holding Ron's wand in his bony hand.

"_Expelliarmus!_" he said hoarsely, as though he hadn't talked in many years.

Alex and the others' wands flew over and Black caught them all. He then turned his grey eyes on Alex and she tried to stand up, falling over again as she tasted blood in her mouth. He took a step toward her but decided against it and went back. Hermione ran over and half carried, half dragged Alex away and got her friend to stand up with the help of a four-poster bed. Alex turned to Black and saw a strange look in his eyes that she didn't know.

"I thank you," he croaked, "For not getting a teacher, things'll be easier now. I knew you would come for your friend. Your father would have done the same for me Harry, as well as your mother Alex."

Alex clenched her fists in rage and her eyes were on fire. How dare he, who did he think he was? How could he speak of her mother so casually when he had sold her to Voldemort? Harry too was furious as he shook with anger.

"If you're going to kill Harry and Alex," said Hermione shrilly, stepping between the others and Black, "Then you'll have to get through us."

"Yeah," said Ron, standing too but swaying slightly and turning green.

"Sit down," Black said to Ron, "You'll damage your leg even more. Same with you, Alex. Sit on the bed. It'll hold you I expect, you're not much weight on it."

"Why do you care about Alex's leg?" snapped Harry, "You didn't care about her when you sold her parents, and mine, to Voldemort! What's the matter, has Azkaban made you soft?"

"Harry," said Hermione in a worried tone.

"He killed my parents!" shouted Harry, "I have a right to say whatever I want to him! So come on then, we're unarmed! Finish the job you started twelve years ago!"

"Harry," Alex said weakly as she sat on the bed, "I thought the point was _not _to get killed."

"Only one will die tonight," said Black, an evil look came over his face. Alex frowned. Only one? What did he mean by that?

"Then it'll be you!"

Harry did one of the most stupid things ever. He ran at a fully-grown, armed wizard and punched him in the face. Alex watched with horror as Black fell to the ground and Harry with him. Black grabbed Harry's throat and Alex got up, hobbled over to the fighters, and whacked Black with her crutches wherever she could find room. Ron and Hermione joined the brawl too until Harry was able to get his wand and pointed it at Black.

"Move!" he shouted and Alex, taking her wand from Hermione, went next to Harry while leaning on the wall. Her leg was throbbing worse than ever but she ignored the pain and stared at the man who was responsible for her parents' deaths.

"Are you two going to kill me?" Black asked, looking at Harry and then at Alex.

"You're why we have no parents," whispered Alex, "Why Harry and I never knew we had magic until just a month before we came here, why I never had a father to play catch with, why I never had a mother to go shopping with. You've changed our lives forever!"

"I admit I'm responsible," said Black quickly, "But let me speak, please. You both will regret it if I don't."

Just then, Crookshanks jumped onto Black's chest and dug his nails into his robes. Black tried to push the cat off, but Crookshanks refused to be moved.

_"Crookshanks,"_ said Alex to the cat, _"Get off of him now!"_

_"You are making a terrible mistake by killing him,"_ the cat said calmly, _"He is telling the truth and you should listen to him."_

"Well?" asked Harry sternly, "Why isn't he moving?"

"He says we should trust him," Alex told him, "Because he isn't lying and we're making a terrible mistake if we kill him."

"I agree with the cat," said Black, "If, in fact, that's what he said."

"Of course that's what he said!" snapped Alex angrily, "And you need to shut up. We didn't have a say in whether or not our parents died and you don't have a say in whether or not you die."

Harry raised his wand and pointed it at Black's heart, regardless of the cat. Something inside Alex told her that Crookshanks was right but she ignored it, saying that it was the pain in her leg making her think those things. She waited for Harry to say the killing curse, but he never did. Harry just stood there with his wand out, trying to find the courage to say the spell.

There was a noise from downstairs and Hermione shouted, "WE'RE UP HERE! SIRIUS BLACK IS UP HERE!" Footsteps raced up the stairs and the door banged open, revealing Professor Lupin. He looked around at Ron on the floor, to Hermione holding hers and Ron's wands, to Harry standing over Black, to Alex leaning on the wall and holding her wand loosely in her hand, looking white as a sheet.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Lupin said and caught the wands with ease.

He motioned for Alex and Harry to back away and Alex used her crutches and sat on the bed, holding her leg as sharp pain jetted up and down. She watched as Lupin went over to Black.

"Where is he, Sirius?" the professor asked. Black looked at him curiously and pointed at Ron. Lupin looked at Ron without seeing him. "But that means, you and James switched without telling…because you thought it was me."

Black nodded and Alex looked at the others, all of them wearing the same expression: confusion.

"Sir, what's going…?" she said but her voice died when she saw what Lupin did next. He reached down, helped Black up, and embraced him.

"NO!" Alex and Hermione screamed together, Lupin and Black turning to them.

"I can't believe you!" shouted Hermione, "We've kept your secret all year and this is what happens!"

"Hermione listen-"

"I trusted you!" yelled Harry, "And all this time, you've been his friend!"

"I wasn't his friend, but I am now," Lupin said loudly.

"Here you go again with this lying," Alex said, shaking her head and laughing coldly, "You were his friend at school, as well as my mother's and my aunt's. How could you help the man who betrayed your friends? Although, I suppose you were in on it too. I can't believe I covered for you when people asked what was wrong with you!"

"Alex, please-"

"Harry, Alex, stay away from him," said Hermione, "He's in league with Black, he wants you dead, and…and he's a werewolf!"

The room was silent and Lupin's face went dark. A sharp pain shot down Alex's leg and she drew a quick breath. Lupin came over to her with a look of concern on his face and knelt down by her leg. Carefully, he pulled back her bloody jeans and looked over her leg, Alex sitting as still as death but not saying a word. She saw Black looking at her mutilated leg with a hard glare as if he hoped it would turn to ash. He seemed to sense her stare and looked up at her. His expression softened but Alex continued to glare angrily at him so he looked away. Lupin pulled out his wand, Alex bracing herself for whatever spell Lupin would use on her, and a roll of bandages wrapped itself tightly around Alex's leg. Lupin then turned to Ron, who backed away quickly.

"Get away from me, werewolf!" Ron said, his eyes wide with terror.

Lupin stopped where he was, looking hurt but unsurprised.

"Honestly Ron," said Alex as she raised her bandaged leg onto the worn bed, "He's not dangerous now, only when the full moon touches him. Let him look at your leg, it feels a hell of a lot better with the bandages on. Besides, if he does work with Black, it's me and Harry he'll kill."

Lupin bandaged Ron's leg up and then turned to Hermione and Alex. "If this were a test, you two would not be happy with the results, only one out of three. I am not in league with Black, nor was I ever. I definitely do not want either Alex or Harry dead, but…I am a werewolf." He paused. "How long have you two known?"

"Since Professor Snape assigned the essay when you were out," said Hermione and Black looked up.

"Snape, a teacher?" he asked, appalled, "How did an idiot like him make it?"

"He probably forced Dumbledore to let him in," said Alex, "And is using the Imperius Curse to let him stay, the one that lets you control others."

Black let out of bark of laughter and said, "You are definitely Alana's daughter."

"It doesn't matter how he got in," Lupin said quickly as Alex opened her mouth with a nasty retort ready, "It's the fact he is in and is teaching at Hogwarts. I take it you realized I was only gone during the day of a full moon? Or was it my patronus that gave it away?"

"Actually, it was the wolfsbane potion," said Alex calmly, "I was worried about what Snape was giving you so I wrote down all its characteristics. Then when we were looking up information for the essay, we came across the potion. Looking it up, we recognized it as the one you had been drinking."

"I had heard you could give Snape a run for his money," Lupin said with a ghost of a smile and sighed, running a hand through his graying hair, "I don't know exactly where to start, there's so much to tell."

"I've waited twelve years to finish this," Black said, staring at Ron, "Can't we talk another time?" He made a lunge for Ron but Lupin, as if anticipating this, held him back.

"No Sirius!" shouted Lupin, "You can wait a little longer. Ron has had that rat for years. Harry deserves to know the truth. And what about your daughter Sirius? She deserves to know why she's lived with the name of a false man as her father for the past twelve years!"

Black stopped struggling and blinked, looking at Lupin in shock. Alex stared at Lupin and then at Hermione. Hermione looked from Lupin to Black in utter disbelief.

"What?" whispered Hermione.

"No, not you Hermione," said Lupin, looking at Alex. Alex felt as though she had been dropped from a very high building.

"No," breathed Alex, shaking her head, "No, my mother dumped him and married David Ratcliff. That's why he went mad, out of grief."

"Do you know that for a fact?" asked Lupin, "This was all before you were born. Only your mother's closest friends knew the truth, that Alana married Sirius just a year after they graduated. It's all in your mother's diary if you don't believe me, Alex. It was a private wedding, nobody except the Potter's, Elizabeth, and the priest. I was on business for the Order then, that was why you had it then wasn't it?" he asked Black sadly, "Dumbledore told you that there was a traitor among us and you thought it was me."

"Lizzy never doubted you for a moment," said Black supportively and Lupin looked at his feet while pressing his lips into a thin line, "But Al and I weren't as trusting. I'm sorry Remus, we wanted to be careful. Unfortunately," Black continued, looking at his hands, "My family still managed to find out. We thought someone may have seen us coming out of the church. My family, ah…didn't _approve_ of Alana Tortelli's all-Muggle background. I told Alana to divorce me and live a new life, but she wouldn't have it. She only pretended to get a divorce with me and to marry David Ratcliff. The wedding was a total show to throw off my family. No one knew it was a show except Alana, Elizabeth, David, and I. None of our friends knew at the time and we only told James and Lily after they agreed to hide Alana and you, Alex.

"Alana planned to live with David for a few months and then quietly move back with me. While we were still together, she got pregnant and had the baby, saying David was the father. But my family still suspected something was amiss and I told your mother to go into hiding with Harry's parents. I was going to be their Secret-Keeper, but I switched with Peter Pettigrew, thinking no one would go after him because he was weak-looking."

Black stopped talking and looked at Alex. He seemed so sad, yet happy too. His eyes filled up and he looked away to wipe them quickly.

"How did you know, Remus?" he asked thickly.

"I had my suspicions when I met her on the train. She has the Black family eyes," said Lupin with a soft smile at Alex, "Then I saw her patronus was a large dog. It looked a lot like your animagus form. So when I learned that she got Alana's diary for Christmas, I knew it would have the answers in there. I asked her for it and read all about her worries and how she tried to protect her and her baby from the Black family Death Eaters."

The door banged open making everyone jump. There was no one there and Lupin went to check outside the door.

"This place really is haunted," said Ron, "I thought it was just an urban legend."

"It _is_ a legend," Lupin said with a shrug as he closed the door, "Dumbledore made it to cover up the noises the villagers heard at night, noises I made while I was a wolf. I guess that's where I should start, from the beginning.

"I was very small when I was bitten," said Lupin wearily, "My parents tried everything they could, but there was no way to cure lycanthropy. Most people thought I would never be able to go to school, but not Dumbledore. Once he became Headmaster, things changed and he said that, as long as certain precautions were taken, I could still go to school and live a semi-normal life." He looked at Harry and Alex, "Do you remember when I told you about the Whomping Willow and how it was planted the year I came? It was planted _because_ I came. The tree, the passage way, and the house were all used for when I would transform. My transformations were…horrible. Werewolves have a need for blood and since I was the only thing around with it, I would bite myself.

"While at Hogwarts, I found three terrific friends: Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter. Besides them, I was lucky enough to be good friends with Lily Evans, the Tortelli twins, Alice Lenns, and Frank Longbottom. It was Peter, Sirius, James, Lily, and Elizabeth, however, who were my closest companions. They, like Hermione and Alex here, noticed that I would be leaving school a lot. I made up stories, telling them that my mother was sick and how I had to go home to help her. Soon, they figured out the truth and I was scared. What if they deserted me like everyone else I ever knew but my family? Or worse, what if they told the school about me and I was forced to leave? Instead of those things, three of my friends did the most self-less thing in the world: they became animagi. This way, they could be with me while I transformed. And although Elizabeth and Lily never became an animagi, they were always supportive and willing to cheer me up when I started hating myself for my condition."

"That was extremely dangerous!" said Hermione, "Becoming an animagus is very hard!"

"Wait a minute," Alex said, "How can that be? There were only a few people who became animagi in the last century and their names weren't listed. Hermione and I looked McGonagall up when we did a homework assignment for Transfiguration." She saw Harry look surprised and said in a quieter tone, "What? We had some free time and were curious."

"That's true," said Lupin with a smile, "But the Ministry never knew that there were three _unregistered_ animagi running around with a werewolf every full moon. That's how we got our nicknames on the Marauder's Map. I'm Moony, Peter was Wormtail, Sirius was Padfoot, and James was Prongs."

"You're the Marauders?" said Alex with surprise.

"Yes, yes we are," said Black with pride.

"I don't think anyone else at Hogwarts learned as much about the school as we four did. We wrote the Map to help future generations in the art of mischief making, which I can see has actually happened. Every full moon, James would take the other two under the Invisibility Cloak and Peter, the smallest, was able to get to the knob on the tree to stop the branches. Once we were all transformed, James and Sirius would keep me in line as we went about the grounds."

"What if you bit someone?" said Hermione, a hand over her mouth.

"A day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought about that," sighed Lupin, "I was always afraid that I would lose control and attack someone. There were a few close ones, but we would laugh about them afterwards. We were young and thought ourselves invincible.

"I used to wonder if Dumbledore ever knew that there were three unregistered animagi in his school and that I had led them into doing it, but I could never tell him. Even now, I value Dumbledore's trust too much. He allowed me here as a boy and back as a teacher when, all my adult life, I have never had a steady-paying job because of what I am. Even when I thought Sirius might have been using his animagus form to get into the school, I didn't tell. I convinced myself that Sirius was using dark magic he learned while under Voldemort."

"So nobody knows about your little problem?" asked Alex confused. She thought the staff would have known. Lupin smiled at a private memory while Sirius let out a small chuckle, only stopping abruptly when Alex sent him a hateful glare.

"The staff knows, Dumbledore told them before the start of term. Some of them didn't want me to come but backed off when Dumbledore said there was no one else for the job. Only Snape fought to keep me from coming."

"Why didn't Snape want you to come?" asked Hermione.

"Well, we didn't get along well in school," said Lupin thinking, "He especially hated James, probably jealous of his Quidditch talents. He was very curious as to where we went once a month and why all four of us were bleary-eyed the next day. Sirius decided to play a prank on Snape by telling him that if you got a very long stick and pressed it on a certain knob on the Whomping Willow, the tree would freeze and you could go down a passageway. Of course, Snape tried it when he saw us leaving from the castle."

"You could have killed him!" said Hermione.

"He shouldn't have been snooping around," said Black darkly, "He was always trying to get us into trouble."

"Sirius realizes now," said Lupin loudly to stop Black from continuing his rant, "That what he did was wrong. Snape, however, never entered the house because James found out what Sirius had done and pulled Snape away before any harm came to him. Snape did catch a glimpse of me and was forced by Dumbledore to never breathe a word to anyone."

"So that's why he hates you," said Alex.

"He thought you were in on the prank," said Harry.

"That's right."

Snape threw something off of him and stood before them, his wand pointed directly at Lupin.

_Author's Note: So…what did you think? I threw a little cliff-hanger in there…hehe! This is my favorite scene from the third book so I hope I did it enough justice. I know that there is still some stuff not answered, but there's another chapter where the four Gryffindors are in the Shrieking Shack. Also, not all the mysteries will be revealed here. Some will be in later books but I promise by the end of the series that all your questions will be answered. If anything still confuses you, PM me and I'll be sure to let you know when it will be explained. :)_

_Thank you to my amazing alert-ers, fantastic favorite-ers, and totally awesome reviewers! I can't believe there are over 60 reviews for this story! Let's see how far we can go, shall we? If you haven't reviewed before, I would love to hear from you. Just a little something to let me know how you feel about the story. Again, thank you all and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D_


	18. Chapter 17 Truths Are Made Known

_Author's Note: All right, you caught me. I'm not really J.K Rowling. What gave it away? Hmm…maybe the fact that I OWN NOTHING? Just a thought…By the way, this chapter contains information from my prequel_ Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale._ If you haven't read it and aren't going to, there is a quick summary of what you need to know in my A/N at the bottom of the page. Okay, I'm done now. Enjoy!_

Chapter 17 Truths Are Made Known

Hermione let out a small yelp. Black and Alex stood up quickly, the latter swaying dangerously but holding onto the bedpost.

"This is turning out to be a very good night, for me that is," said Snape, his eyes glowing with revenge, "I was up in your office Lupin, to give you your potion, and I found a map on your desk, a very familiar map. I saw you running to this house and followed. I also found this near the tree, I thank you Potter."

Snape held up Harry's Invisibility Cloak and threw it over toward him. Harry caught it and looked at Snape angrily.

"Ew Harry, don't touch it," said Alex coldly, but so Snape couldn't hear, "It might have some of his grease on it."

"Severus," said Lupin, "Let me explain-"

"I told Dumbledore that you were helping an old friend into the castle," said Snape over Lupin, sounding maniacal, "But he defended you, trusted you, thought you were a tame wolf. I can't imagine what he'll say when I tell him what happened.

"Why don't you listen to him?" said Alex impatiently, "Get the story straight before you go to the Headmaster."

"Miss Ratcliff, you and your friends are in enough trouble already," said Snape wickedly, his eyes never leaving Lupin, "You are all out of bounds, past curfew, and in the company of a murderer and a werewolf."

"But sir," said Hermione quietly, "They were just explaining to us-"

"Miss Granger, for once in your life, hold your tongue!" snapped the Potions master.

"I can't believe you," said Lupin, shaking his head, "All of this over a school grudge."

_BANG!_ Thick, black cords wrapped themselves around Lupin's body and his mouth, causing the man to fall to the ground. Alarmed, Alex began hobbling over to Lupin to see if he was unharmed. Snape pointed his wand at her and caused her to trip. She twisted her body so she landed away from her injured leg and let out a small groan of pain as she hit the hard wooden floors. Black roared with rage and advanced on Snape, who turned his wand to Black, an evil grin spread across his face.

"Vengeance is sweet," he whispered, "I wished I would be the one to catch you and here I am. The dementors will be happy to see you Black, so much that they might give you a kiss."

Alex let out a, "NO!" and put her hand to her mouth quickly, trying too late to stifle the noise. The dementors kiss was when the dementor sucked out your soul, causing you to be one of them: a shell of your former self, walking the earth without one happy memory to your name. And yet, didn't Black deserve this punishment after all he did? Something told Alex that she should hear the rest of his story before she judged.

Snape and Black turned to Alex when she spoke. Black looked at her, hope and longing in his eyes while Snape looked from Black to Alex, comprehension dawning.

"I don't believe it. How could I have not seen it before? She has the Black family eyes," he said, still looking between the two, "Tortelli actually had a child with you. This is just keeps getting better and better! I'm sorry to disappoint you two, but it's time we headed back to the castle. You can do your father-daughter bonding later. I'll drag the werewolf, maybe the dementors will have a kiss for him too."

As he turned for the door, Harry stepped in front of him, barring the way.

"Get out of the way, Potter," snarled Snape.

"Not until I hear the story," said Harry, his wand raised.

"Like father, like son, Potter. I save you from this man," he poked his wand hard into Black's ribs, "Extinguishing your pathetic life as well as the lives of your fellow classmates and, while others would be thanking me, you stand there and argue. Get out of the way or I…will…make…you!"

But Snape never had the chance. Alex, who was behind Snape now, raised her wand and shouted, "_Expelliarmus!_" just as Ron, Hermione, and Harry shouted the same spell. Snape went flying, hit the wall, and slid down, blood in his greasy hair.

"We attacked a teacher…we attacked a teacher," said Hermione in a panicky tone, "Oh, we are so going to be expelled."

"No, we're not," said Alex sternly, but she was smiling, eyes alight, "We did it in self-defense." She slid over to Lupin and began untying the bonds, Black coming down to help her.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said, "I was fine."

"Oh yeah, you were great up there! Being held at wandpoint to be kissed by a dementor is exactly my definition of "fine". Anyway, I've wanted to do that for ages," said Alex, not looking at the man she just saved, "There was no stopping any of us."

Once Lupin was untied, he helped Alex up and over to the bed. He then turned to Ron.

"Ron, the time has come for proof. Give me the rat."

"What does Scabbers have to do with anything?" said Ron, his voice higher than normal.

"Everything," said Black suddenly, "That's no ordinary rat, he's animagus. He's Peter Pettigrew."

"You're mad!" said Ron, "Scabbers has been in our family for ages, we'd have known!"

"And how is it that your rat, Scabbers you said, has lived this long?" asked Lupin, "Most rats only live about five years."

"We've taken good care of him!" said Ron defensively as Scabbers scratched at his hands.

"He's not looking too good now, I'm guessing he's been like that since news of Sirius Black's escape reached his rat ears."

"He's like this because of that stupid cat," said Ron, "Crookshanks has been scaring the living daylights out of him."

But Alex remembered seeing Scabbers sickly-looking when Ron got back from Egypt, just after the news of Black became public. That was before they had even met Crookshanks.

"This cat is not stupid," said Black, petting the cat as he purred loudly, "When he met me, he knew I wasn't a dog. Animals are smarter than people give them credit for. Even Hagrid's dog knew I wasn't what I seemed."

"Hold on," said Alex suddenly, "You're Fang's friend from the forest? But that means…"

"I was there when the dementors attacked you," said Black solemnly, "You had dropped your wand so I quickly changed back with enough time to say the spell powerful enough to drive them off, and returned to my dog form. They never realized it was me."

Alex tried to comprehend what she just heard but found herself struggling. Black cleared his throat loudly.

"Crookshanks, I believe you said his name was," continued Black, "Has been helping me try and get into the castle. When I couldn't get in, he brought me the passwords and, at first, tried to bring me Peter."

"His name's Scabbers!" said Ron angrily.

"No Ron," said Lupin gently, "It is Peter. You see his missing toe? People have said the largest part they ever found of Pettigrew was his finger. I guess he must have cut it off before he transformed."

"Everyone saw Pettigrew killed," said Ron and pointed his finger at Black, "He killed him!"

"They only saw what Peter wanted them to see!" said Black, "When I cornered him, he shouted for all the street to hear that I had killed my friends and then he blew the street up, changing into a rat and going down the drainage system."

"Professor Lupin?" asked Alex, "There are millions of rats in the world, how could someone tell the difference, especially from Azkaban? I highly doubt Scabbers has been in there for Black to see him."

"Actually, that's a good question," said Lupin, turning to Black, "How did you know where Peter was?"

Black pulled out an old newspaper and Alex saw the Weasleys on the front, waving happily with pyramids behind them. Black pointed at Ron's shoulder with a bony finger and Alex saw little Scabbers.

"I knew it was him the moment I saw this," said Black, "We saw him transform so many times. Fudge gave me this when he visited," he added, seeing the look on Lupin's face, "It said the boy went to Hogwarts…where Harry and Alex were. I knew that if one breath of a rumor were to reach him that Voldemort was back, he'd finish the job that sent Voldemort into ruin."

There was silence except for Scabbers squealing, which Alex could hear now. _"He's going to kill me, he's going to kill me! Let go of me for the love of Merlin!"_

"He's scared," said Alex quietly and everyone turned to her, "Scabbers, he keeps saying the same thing over and over again: "He's going to kill me"."

"Yes I am, little Peter," growled Sirius.

"Ron, give us the rat. I promise I won't let Sirius hurt him if it isn't Peter," said Lupin.

"What will you do to him?" Ron asked.

"We're going to force him into his human form. If it's really a normal rat, nothing will happen."

Ron looked down at Scabbers and slowly handed him over to Lupin. Scabbers began flaying his little paws more than ever and Alex had to cover her ears as he screamed louder than ever. Lupin held the rat in one hand, his wand in the other, and both men pointed their wands at the rat. A blinding white light erupted and the rat fell to the floor.

But the thing on the floor was much too large for a rat, it was a short man, shorter than anyone in the room. Alex immediately recognized him from the photograph of her mother's friends as Peter Pettigrew. She also noticed how nervous the man looked, how his eyes always strayed toward the boarded up windows and the door.

"S-Sirius? R-Remus? My friends!" the man said in a squeaky voice. He turned to the others and smiled, "Hello Ron, my owner. And Hermione, it's so nice to see you at a normal height! Harry, you look so much like your father, James. And Alex, you are turning into a fine young lady, just like Alana."

"Don't you dare talk to Alex and Harry like that!" said Black angrily and Pettigrew cowered in fear.

"Peter," said Lupin calmly, giving Black a sharp look, "We were just discussing the night Lily, James, and Alana died. You may have missed most of it while you were squealing."

"Remus, you don't actually believe him, do you?" Pettigrew said, his eyes wide, "I didn't kill any of them! They were my dearest friends!"

"Don't give us that!" shouted Black, his eyes filled with fire, resembling Alex's eyes when she was extremely angry, "You sold them to Voldemort, you might as well had said the killing curse!"

"ENOUGH!" Alex shouted before Pettigrew could respond. The room fell silent and Alex took a deep breath before saying, "Look, from what I can gather from my mum's old photos, you Marauders were all extremely close. They say that Black became a traitor because my mum left him for a Muggle man and it drove him into insanity. Why would Pettigrew want to sell his old school friends to Voldemort?"

"Exactly! Thank you, Alex!" the little man cried out but he was silenced by a look from Professor Lupin.

"I've given this a lot of thought while I was locked up," said Black darkly, "It wasn't well known but Peter was a double-agent when we left Hogwarts. He wanted to help a girl, Lindsay O'Riley, break free of Voldemort's grip and free her parents. James and I were in charge of keeping Lindsay safe when we planned to break her parents out of the Malfoy Manor. That was where they held them. We had appointed the two best Aurors to guard her that night but the Death Eaters decided that the O'Riley's were of no further service to them. They were dead when we arrived.

"James and I realized that Lindsay was in danger so we raced back to the safe house. The entire place was burned to the ground; there were no survivors," Black continued with a bowed head, "When we told Peter, he was furious with us for weeks. It wasn't until after the funeral that he said he had forgiven us. But he was never the same afterwards, we all thought that he was grieving. Little did we know that he was planning his revenge."

Black's head shot up and he glared at Peter, who shrunk away from his stare.

"You loved her, Peter. James and I understood that. But you didn't want our understanding, did you? You wanted us to suffer as you had suffered. So you decided to kill us, physically or emotionally. You knew that if you took Alana and Alex from me, that I would die inside. I would be as dead as James was!"

"Remus, you can't be buying this!" said Pettigrew, his voice hysterical, "I'm innocent!"

"Then why did you spend all those years as a rat, hiding from the world?" said Lupin coldly.

"I was scared," said the short man, "Scared that he would come and find me and try to kill me again!"

"You thought that Sirius would escape from Azkaban," Lupin said with raised eyebrows, "When no one has ever done it before?"

"He was You-Know-Who's spy! His loyal servant!" squealed Pettigrew, his eyes bulging as they kept looking toward the door, "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have taught him Dark magic!"

Black let out a bark of laughter, "Voldemort, teach me?" Pettigrew flinched at the name and Black continued, "My whole family was a bunch of pureblood maniacs who sided with Voldemort!"

"So you _were_ on his side!" Harry shouted.

"No," said Black, his voice full of hatred, "I hated the whole lot of them. I never understood why, just because we had an all-Wizard background, we could walk over everyone else. If anything, I would be the last person Voldemort would try to bring over to his side. My family made up most of his Death Eaters, they would have killed me the moment I walked in."

Black ran a hand through his long dirty hair and turned his stormy eyes on Peter, anger and disgust filling them while the portly man shuddered under the intense stare.

"But you Peter, you were always looking for people who were more powerful than you for protection," the ex-prisoner whispered dangerously, "Before, it was me, Remus, and James. Now, it's Voldemort. You even had access, pretending to double-cross them when you were really double-crossing us! I should have known it was you from the beginning; you were never the same after we told you about Lindsay. You told my family about Alana and I, didn't you? We all thought you were working for us, but you were really one of them, weren't you?"

Pettigrew kept mumbling things under his breath and his eyes were darting toward the door more than ever. However, there was one question that was in Alex's mind.

"Hey buddy," said Alex, unsure yet how to address Black. He turned to her and Alex asked, "How did you manage to get out of Azkaban?"

"I'm not sure," Black said, frowning in thought, "I knew I was innocent, which wasn't a happy thought the dementors could take away from me. I could transform into a dog when it became too much for me to bear. The dementors don't have eyes you see, they feel their way around by emotions. They could tell my thoughts were less complex when I was a dog but, after being in there for so long, they must have thought I was going insane like the other inmates.

"But then I saw Peter on the boy's shoulder, saw that he would be at Hogwarts…where you and Harry were, waiting for any word of Voldemort's return. If anything were to reach his ears, he would finish the job and no one would say he betrayed his master. I couldn't let that happen, I was the only one who knew Peter for what he was. A fire burned inside me that the dementors could not diminish. It wasn't happiness, it was obsession.

"One night, I slipped through the bars as a dog while I was given food. I was so skinny then. I managed to swim to the mainland and journeyed north. I was very sick and needed to eat when you found me." At this, he looked into Alex's identical stormy grey eyes and smiled, "You nursed me back to health and I was grateful. A few days after you left, I ran away and stayed in the Forbidden Forest, only leaving when I tried to get Peter."

Alex tore her eyes away from Black's stare and looked at Harry. He seemed to be wavering slightly, but said aloud, "You said to Alex and me, before Professor Lupin came up, that you killed them. You admitted to it!"

"I as good as killed them," Black said heavily, "I told James and Lily to change their Secret-Keeper to Peter, I suggested that Alana go into hiding with your parents. But Harry, believe me, James was my best friend. Lily was also my friend. I would never have done anything if I had known what would have happened."

Harry seemed to be thinking then nodded. Black gave him a half-smile and turned to Alex, taking a deep breath.

"If you are my father, which I'm not saying you are," said Alex before Black could speak, "Then why didn't you take me with you when my mother died?"

"I tried," Black said his voice catching and he cleared it, "I asked Hagrid for me to take both you and Harry. But Hagrid said that Dumbledore had a plan for you two and I knew there was nothing I could do. Once Dumbledore makes up his mind, there's not much you can do and Hagrid was bound to Dumbledore to follow those orders. So, I gave Hagrid my motorcycle so he could travel faster.

"A day hasn't gone by that I haven't wondered what you were doing, what you looked like, if you even knew the truth." He stopped and took a calming breath as his voice trembled, "Alex, I loved your mother with all my heart, I still do. I haven't stopped blaming myself since that day and I'm sorry, so sorry, that you lived in a lie for these last twelve years. But you have to believe me, I'm your father and I never, ever, sold your mother to Voldemort."

Alex looked up at him. She felt a lump rise in her throat and her vision blurred with tears. She wiped them away and took a step forward.

"I believe you, Dad," she managed to say and she threw her arms around his very skinny waist.

It took a few seconds for him to react, but he did. He held her close to him as she sobbed. She had a father, a real father who would look after her. She didn't even notice that Pettigrew had begun going around to each person in turn and begging them to save him from Sirius' wrath. Finally, he came to the two teary-eyed people and began sobbing too.

"Alex, you beautiful girl, your mother wouldn't have wanted your father to kill me. She always liked me. Please don't let him kill me!"

"SILENCE!" roared Black, his wet, grey eyes enraged, "Don't you dare get within five feet of her!"

He pushed Alex behind him, pulled out his wand, and advanced toward the blubbering man, Lupin along with him.

"You should have known, Peter," said Lupin, his eyes blank, "That if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would."

They raised their wands together but Harry and Alex cried, "NO!" together and they looked behind them.

"Alex," said her father, "This man, this filthy son of a giant squid, is the reason you only have one parent. He's also the reason that Harry has none."

"We know," said Harry, "But let the dementors take care of him, he belongs in Azkaban."

"And anyway," said Alex, seeing the hopeful look in Pettigrew's eyes, "Isn't it true that the dementor's kiss is worse than death?"

Pettigrew whimpered and the two men lowered their wands a little.

"All right then," said Lupin in a business-like tone, "First things first, can you two walk?" He directed this question at Ron and Alex, both pale and a little green.

"I have these crutches," said Alex, holding them up.

"Then Ron, you, Peter, and I will walk down together," Lupin conjured chains out of thin air and put then on his wrists and Ron and Peter's too. "We'll need someone to take Severus up to the castle."

"I will," said Sirius. He raised Snape's wand and the Potions master rose into the air, invisible strings keeping him up.

Everyone left the room and went down into the hole. Alex, who was the last one out, found the sight before her darkly comical. There was the chained trio in the front, Peter whimpering the entire way, followed by Hermione and Harry with Snape hovering above them. Sirius didn't seem to notice, or care, that Snape's head would occasionally scrape the roof of the tunnel.

As they walked, Sirius turned to Alex and waited for her to catch up. They walked side-by-side in silence.

"What's going to happen now?" Alex asked.

"Well, we should take Peter to Dumbledore and tell him the truth," said her father, "Peter will probably go to Azkaban and I'll be free."

"Where will you go?"

"I have a house in London," Sirius said and turned to his daughter, "I was wondering, if you wanted to that is because I know you love where you are, if you wanted to live with me. Harry would be there too of course, he is my god-son after all, but we would have plenty of room for Elian too."

"Are you joking?" asked Alex, stopping to look up.

"You don't have to," said Sirius quickly, "I just thought we could catch up on things that I've missed."

"Of course I want to live with you!" said Alex, breaking into a huge grin, "You're my father for Merlin's sake!"

Her father smiled, the first true smile of the night. He didn't even see that Snape had run into one of the walls of the tunnel. Alex, however, did and pointed this out to her father.

"I'm trying to give him as much pain as possible for when he wakes up," said Sirius as they walked.

They reached the end of the tunnel and Sirius helped Alex out. She looked up at the castle and smiled at the twinkling lights. She was going to live with her father, the father she never knew she had. She turned to him and Harry and smiled, this was the happiest moment of her life.

"ARGH!" Ron yelled.

Alex spun around and saw Lupin on his knees, his whole body convulsing in the light of the moon. The moon! Alex looked up and saw it, that full celestial body shinning its cursed light down on them. She saw Hermione's terrified face as Harry ran to get Ron away. A black blur got there first and Alex saw, with horror, Sirius in dog form breaking the chains and landing on the transforming professor. Pettigrew picked up a wand and raised it at the dog.

"Don't move!" Alex shouted, pulling out her own.

Pettigrew looked at her, gave a small wave, and transformed into a rat, running off into the night. Alex let out a stream of curses but it was no use. Pettigrew was gone. She heard a whimper and saw that Lupin had thrown Sirius off. The pale, kind professor had turned into a full-fledged werewolf. The beast sniffed the air and turned to the four students, his hazel eyes glowing.

_"Humans"_ Alex heard him growl, _"So long since I've had human blood."_

_"Professor Lupin,"_ said Alex shakily, _"Please, it's us, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex. I know your in there sir, this isn't you. You're a good person, trapped inside a monster's body."_

The werewolf Lupin stopped and looked at her. Something flickered in his eyes and Alex took a limp forward.

"Alex, no!" Hermione sobbed but Alex ignored her.

_"Please sir,"_ she said, taking another shaky step, _"You know this isn't really you."_

The beast opened its mouth and gave out a howl that sent Alex stumbling back into Hermione.

_"This is me,"_ the beast said, _"And nothing you can say will change that."_

He lunged at Alex who cowered, waiting for the bite. Instead, she saw Sirius leap in front of her and tackle the werewolf. The two animals rolled down a hill and towards the forest.

"SIRIUS!" shouted Harry and he tore after the dog, Hermione running after him.

Panting, Alex dragged herself over to a tree and leaned back.

"Things are going from bad to worse," said Alex, but Ron didn't say anything so she continued, "Pettigrew ran off, Lupin's a dangerous werewolf, and we can't move. Ron, are you listening to me? Ron?"

She saw Ron lying on the ground and hobbled over to him, turned him over, and saw his eyes were open unblinkingly. She slapped his face, but he didn't move. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and looked around. Something was amiss, where was Snape?

"Hello?" Alex called out.

A figure stepped out from a tree and Alex saw Snape pointing his wand at her. Before she could do anything, he shouted, "_Stupifey!_" and Alex was knocked unconscious.

_Author's Note: Hello readers! I know I was gone for so long and I apologize sincerely. It wasn't my intention to leave you for that long. FanFiction wouldn't let me post this for some reason, but I'm back now! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to _LoneFairytale_ because she told me how to fix this so I could update for you all. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! ;D __So what did you think of this? For those of you who haven't read _Remembering the Past: A Marauder's Tale_, you probably didn't understand the whole part about Lindsay and Peter. __**Here is what you need to know**__:_

_Basically, Lindsay was forced to work for the Death Eaters and must get to Dumbledore through the Marauders and company. The Death Eaters had come to her house in order to convince her parents to join and when they didn't, the Death Eaters were going to kill them. To save her parents, Lindsay said she would take their place. As the story goes on, Lindsay manipulates Peter into thinking that his friends hate him but ends up falling in love with him and his quirkiness. Eventually, Peter leaves Lindsay after witnessing the torture of Alice Lenns, later to be Alice Longbottom, and says that it is better to have friends who don't appreciate him than friends who torture for the fun of it. One night, he finds Lindsay crying and she confesses to him that she is being forced to work with the Death Eaters and that all she told him was a lie. His friends are really good friends to him. Peter says he'll go undercover in order to free her parents. In the epilogue, you read that the Death Eaters eventually kill her parents and burn down the house where Lindsay is staying. Peter is visibly upset but later says he forgives Sirius and James for shouting at them. As you've read, he hadn't forgiven them and sold the Potters and Ratcliffs to Voldemort out of revenge._

_Hopefully that helps explain things a little. The reason I wrote that in was because Peter practically worshipped his friends. Something big must have had to happen for him to want to sell the Potters to Voldemort, and what's bigger than the people you considered friends allowing the woman you love to die at the hands of the very people they said they would protect her from?_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put me in their favorites, and put me on alert. Your support is overwhelming, in a good way, and I literally can't thank you enough because this A/N is already far too long. So, I shall end it now by asking anyone who hasn't reviewed to please do so. ;) _


	19. Chapter 18 The Aftermath

_Author's Note: Okay, so I feel so bad that I left my fans for so long thanks to technical difficulties, so I'm posting another chapter today instead of my usual every-other-day updating. Remember, I own Alex and some of the plot but that's it! :)_

Chapter 18 The Aftermath

Groaning, Alex opened her eyes and saw Madame Pomfrey over her, holding a vial full of clear liquid.

"Welcome back, my dear," the matron said and set the vial down, "You've been through a rough night, what with your leg and Sirius Black attacking you. You're lucky he only Stunned you."

These words took awhile to sink in but when they did, Alex sat up quickly.

"Who told you that?" Alex asked.

"Professor Snape brought all four of you in. He said that Black went after you and Mr. Weasley because of your legs. Mr. Potter and Miss Granger were attacked by the dementors, probably chasing Black and happened to run into them."

"Madame Pomfrey, you have it all wrong," said Alex frantically, "Snape attacked me and Ron, not Sirius. Harry and Hermione were chasing Sirius, but because he was going to get hurt. Sirius is innocent! It was Pettigrew who killed all those Muggles!"

"Miss Ratcliff, you're confused," said Madame Pomfrey gently, "Black attacked you with a charm that's made you this way. You don't know what you're talking about."

"No, you don't understand-" said Alex but was cut off.

"Not another word, Miss Ratcliff," the matron said sharply, but continued in a softer tone, "Try and rest, you'll feel better soon."

"Madame Pomfrey," said Alex as the matron left, "Just one question: Where is Sirius?"

"Professor Snape found him along with your other friends," Madame Pomfrey said, "The dementors will deal with him, I expect. Soon, we'll be rid of that horrid man."

If she thought that would calm Alex down, it was the opposite affect. Alex's lip trembled and tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. She put her head in her hands and began to cry, her shoulders shaking. When Madame Pomfrey came to comfort her, Alex shrugged her off. The matron sighed and went to check on the others.

How could they do this? It wasn't fair, her father was innocent! Her father…he was going to have a fate worse than death. She never got to tell him everything, how she started school, all her adventures. She never even got to tell him she loved him. Didn't every father deserve to hear that from his children at least once?

Once Alex managed to calm down, she leaned against the frame of her bed and took in her surroundings. It was pitch black outside except for the full moonlight shining through the windows. All her other friends were still out cold from whatever happened to them. Alex's leg was heavily bandaged and it hurt like hell when she moved it.

Madame Pomfrey saw Alex sitting up and not crying and went to her with a tray of soup and a potion.

"Here you are, Ratcliff," the matron said, "Something for your stomach and something to help you sleep. You won't have any dreams with this stuff."

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," said Alex, "But can I just have something for my leg? I don't want to sleep, not yet."

Madame Pomfrey sighed and took the potion away and returned with another vial, this potion was misty grey. Alex took the potion and her leg felt much better. She ate her soup quietly and Madame Pomfrey took that away as well.

While she gazed off by her bedside window, she saw a quill, ink bottle, and a piece of parchment on a clipboard. She could write a note to her dad and demand that Madame Pomfrey give it to her father before the kiss. Looking around for the matron, Alex took these objects and began writing her note.

_Dear Dad,_

_Wow, that seems so strange, writing the word "Dad". Even saying it about a person is new to me. Madame Pomfrey told me you were going to the dementors. I'm writing this in the hopes you will read it before…you know._

_When I first saw Hogwarts, I felt like this place would become a second home to me, and it has. This is mostly because of my great friends: Hermione, Ron, and of course, Harry. We've been through so much together and it's only our third year. I can't even imagine what the rest of our time here will be like._

_In our first year, the four of us managed to find the Sorcerer's Stone (with a little help from Hagrid). It turns out that our new Defense teacher, Quirrell, had Voldemort in his head, literally. If the four of us hadn't stopped him, Voldemort would have come back to his full power. At first, we thought it was Snape who was helping Voldemort, and who wouldn't with him hating the ground we walk on?_

_My second year was a lot shorter because I was attacked by a Basilisk. Don't worry though, I was only petrified for a few months (which, looking back at that sentence, sounds like something to fret about). Anyway, with Hermione's and my help, Harry and Ron were able to kill the monster._

_And now this year, we've learned that one of our professors is a werewolf, Pettigrew was the one who sold our parents to Voldemort, and that you were innocent. I also learned the real reason why Snape hates Harry, because of his father._

_And now I come to the end of my letter to you. I just want to say that I love you so much and I wish we had more time to spend with each other. I'll never forget you and, if it's the last thing I do, I'll make sure the whole world knows you were framed. I love you Dad._

_Your ever loving daughter,_

_Alexandria Black_

Alex folded the note and put the quill and ink back on the table just as she saw Hermione and Harry stir. She also heard voices coming toward the Hospital Wing.

"…can't believe all that's happened today. You'll get an Order of Merlin for this Professor Snape, First Class if I have anything to do with it. I suppose you found the other two with him?"

"They were unconscious when I found them," Snape's sneering voice drifted in, "I bound Black and brought the students up on stretchers."

Alex sat up erect as the Minister of Magic came in, followed by Snape. Snape never looked happier, his face set in an evil smile that made Alex's blood run cold. There was no talking to Snape. His mind was made up, but maybe Fudge would listen to her.

"Oh Miss Ratcliff, you're up. How are you feeling?" Fudge asked with a smile.

"Are you going to let the dementors kiss Sirius Black?" Alex asked icily.

"Yes we are," said Fudge, still smiling, "I'll need to let the _Prophet_ know when it's over."

"Then I feel horrible," Alex said angrily, "Minister, you're making a terrible mistake. That man is innocent, he was framed."

"It's true, sir," Alex looked and saw Hermione sitting up as well as Harry, "He told us when we were at the shack."

"I was there, Miss Granger," Snape said, "And I didn't hear anything of the sort."

"That's because we knocked you out," snapped Harry, "You didn't hear anything."

"Just like I told you Minister," said Snape with a nasty look on his face, "They're confused, that was a strong spell Black hit them with."

"FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN," Alex half-screamed, "WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Now my dear," said Fudge with a frown, "You have been through a lot tonight. Maybe Madame Pomfrey should give you a sleeping draught to help you rest."

"I won't rest," said Alex, her grey eyes burning with rage, "Not until Sirius Black is proved innocent. That's a promise."

Madame Pomfrey came rushing over and saw the flustered students, minus Ron who was still knocked out, and became angry. She started telling the older men to leave when the man Alex was so happy to see came in: Albus Dumbledore. Alex's spirits rose; Dumbledore would believe them. He would make sure nothing happened to Alex's dad.

"There you are, Dumbledore," said the Minister of Magic with relief, "Your students are very wound up right now, going on about Black being innocent and other rubbish."

Alex opened her mouth to retaliate ferociously, but Dumbledore caught her eye and she stopped.

"I was talking to Sirius myself," said the Headmaster, "And he told me was innocent too. There is something to be looked at here, if you were to take the time to look Minister."

"No," said Fudge with a touch of coldness, "We've dragged this out long enough. It's time for action. I am the minister here, Dumbledore."

"If you thought I was trying to step in on your job, I apologize," said Dumbledore calmly, but his eyes held a fire closely related to Alex's, "I only wished to tell you my opinion of the situation, which you seem to ask for quite often."

Fudge was left dumbstruck. Snape was staring at Harry with a smirk on his face.

"Now Minister, Severus, I wish to talk to my students alone. Would you kindly wait up with Sirius for me? Thank you."

Alex watched as Snape gave her a final, triumphant look, and the two men left. As soon as the door closed, all three students began talking at once until Dumbledore held up his hand.

"I believe you," said the Headmaster and Alex's spirits soared, "But few others will. There is nothing I can do. Fudge is set on performing the kiss. He will not listen to reason, even if it is staring him in the face."

"B-But sir," said Alex, her throat closing and she cleared it, "H-He's my…my…"

"I know Alex," Dumbledore said quietly, "He told me everything, about being an Animagus and having a daughter. He told me to tell you that he loves you and to think of him everyday."

Alex's stomach plummeted and her eyes welled up. She was so sure Dumbledore could help her, that he could snap his fingers and everything would be perfect. She knew now it was unrealistic and childish to think those things, but it didn't make her feel any better. Dumbledore sat by her bed and let Alex cry on his shoulder.

"What we need," the Headmaster said as he patted Alex on the back, "Is more time."

Alex wiped her eyes and looked up at the old man. He was staring at Hermione with a knowing look.

"Miss Granger, you know the rules. You must not be seen by anyone. Three turns should do the trick and, if you are successful, more than one innocent life may be spared."

Dumbledore gave Alex's arm a light pat and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Hermione looked around.

"Sorry Alex, but you can't walk," she said and pulled out a gold chain and threw it around Harry's neck, ignoring his look of shock and confusion, "But what other life was Dumbledore talking about?"

"Buckbeak," Alex said hoarsely, "Sirius can escape on the hippogriff."

"What is going on here?"

But Hermione wasn't paying Harry any attention. She raised a small hourglass to her eyes and was about to turn it.

"Wait!" Alex said and Hermione stopped, "Will you tell my dad that I wish him luck and I love him? And give him this for me." She folded the letter and handed it to Hermione.

"Of course Alex," said Hermione and turned the hourglass three times. In a split second, both Harry and Hermione were gone.

Alex stared at the spot where her two friends had left and did something she hadn't done in a while. She holding her hands, bowed her head and prayed. She prayed hard that her father would be saved, that her friends wouldn't be seen, and that Buckbeak would be set free. By the time she finished, the door opened and Harry and Hermione came running in. Alex looked at Harry worriedly and he nodded with a smile, and held up two fingers, symbolizing both her father and the hippogriff had been rescued.

Alex clapped her hands to her mouth and let out a little laugh. She regained her composure when Madame Pomfrey came back with a huge bolder of solid chocolate and handed out three large pieces. They ate their food quietly, each one straining their ears to hear anyone coming. It wasn't long before they heard loud voices.

"…sure he must have escaped on his own," said Fudge.

"No, this has something to do with Potter and his little friends!" roared Snape as he banged the doors of the Hospital Wing over and strode to Harry's bed, a very upset Fudge and a calm Dumbledore following.

"Now really," said the matron crossly, "This is a hospital, Professor Snape. These children need quiet so they can recuperate!"

"I know you freed him," Snape said angrily, "I don't know how but when I find out, you will all be expelled!"

"That's enough Severus!" said Dumbledore sternly, "There is one simple way to figure this out. Alex, since you are obviously in no condition to walk on your own, did you see anyone leave the Hospital Wing after I did?"

"No sir," said Alex, managing to contain a triumphant laugh, "No one left here after you did."

"They couldn't have," said the matron, "I came to check on the children just minutes after the Headmaster shut the door. Every one of them was in their beds, and I would have heard them leave."

"There you have it Severus," said Dumbledore with a smile, "Unless you are suggesting these children can be in two places at once, or can travel at the speed of light, there is no way they could have freed Sirius and still stayed in the Hospital Wing."

Snape was breathing fast and heavily. Finally, he swept out of the room and stormed off somewhere.

"Are you sure he's quite right Dumbledore?" asked Fudge nervously, "He seems a little…unbalanced."

"He has just suffered a great loss," the Headmaster said, "He and Sirius did not like each other when they were at school. What a night this has been, I'm off to get some sleep before the sun rises. I suggest everyone does the same. Good night!"

The two men left and the matron gave Harry, Hermione, and Alex a sleeping draught. Before it was in full effect, Alex turned to her friends.

"How can I ever thank you two?" she asked, her eyes drooping.

"He's my god-father," said Harry with a yawn, "I didn't want to loose him too."

"And he's innocent," Hermione said as she lay down, "Oh, he told us to tell you to expect a letter in the next week, once he's settled. And he loves you too."

Alex smiled and closed her eyes, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

…...

It was the day after Sirius escaped and all of Hogwarts was talking about it. Yet no one knew as much as four certain Gryffindors did, but they would never reveal their secrets. Ron had to be briefed about what happened in the common room that morning, after they passed inspection by Madame Pomfrey. He seemed to be the most upset about Hermione not telling the boys about the Time Turner.

"I thought we were your friends," he said.

"Of course you are," snapped Hermione, "But McGonagall told me not to tell anyone. I only told Alex because I was stressed and needed to tell someone because _some people_ were being prats and stressing me out." Ron and Harry looked away sheepishly at this and Alex just gave her best friend a one-armed hug.

Alex was walking down the corridors to go outside where her friends were. She had just received a long letter from her uncle telling her that he won the case and she could live with him. Alex was so happy that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran into someone and fell down. A hand reached out to help her up and Alex saw Malfoy standing over her. She got up by herself and looked at him.

"Sorry," she muttered, "I didn't see you."

"It's fine," said Malfoy, waving his hand, "After what happened last night, I can imagine you're a little out of it."

"What do you mean?" Alex said quickly.

"Didn't you hear?" asked Malfoy, "Black was found on the school grounds and managed to escape right through the Minister of Magic's fingers. No one knows where he is, but there was a sighting far from here. It looks like he's leaving. And apparently, Lupin's a werewolf."

"What?" said Alex, her eyes growing wide, "How did you find out about that?"

"Professor Snape told us during breakfast," said Malfoy, "Can you believe it? The entire time he could have bitten us and we never knew."

"Yeah," said Alex but her mind was somewhere else. Snape hadn't gotten his revenge on Sirius, so he got it on Lupin. Soon, all the parents would know and send owls to ask for his resignation. Alex had to go and find him, maybe could convince him to stay.

"Ratcliff? Are you sure you're all right? Did you hit your head when you fell?" Malfoy asked, snapping Alex back to reality.

"I'm fine, I just can't believe it."

"Where are you headed now?"

"I was going to go outside, but I need to find Professor Lupin and ask him a question about our Defense Against the Dark Arts summer work," said Alex distractedly.

"You want me to walk with you? You know," he added with the tiniest of playful smiles on his face after seeing Alex's suspicious look, "In case you run into any more things."

"I'm fine Malfoy," said Alex slowly, "But thanks. See you around."

Alex walked away, her mind swirling. Did she and Malfoy just have a conversation without one insulting the other? What was the world coming to? Once she was out of Malfoy's line of vision, Alex broke into a faster pace and ran all the way to Lupin's office, where she knocked and waited to be let in. He didn't answer right away, so Alex knocked again, much harder and longer.

"Professor Lupin," Alex called, "Let me in, I need to talk to you! Please sir, it's really important!" She rapped continuously until a voice made her jump.

"Please don't break the door down, Alex," Professor Lupin said, carrying a large box under his arm and looking extremely ill.

Alex stepped away from the door, smiling slightly and entered after the teacher. Lupin set down the box and began putting books into it, Alex deciding to give him a hand. Once they finished, he made two cups of tea and they sat down.

"How are you, um, feeling sir?" Alex asked.

"I've been a lot worse," Lupin said darkly as he sipped his tea, "I take it you heard what happened?"

"Yes sir and I'm willing to get a petition saying you can stay," said Alex quickly, "I know almost all the Gryffindors'll sign it because they all like you, no matter what. They can't sack you, you're our best teacher yet! Who cares if you have a little problem?"

Lupin laughed and Alex frowned. She remembered him laughing at her similar comment in the Shack and wondered what was so funny.

"You sound like my friends," said Lupin, still chuckling, "Your father and James used to call my lycanthropy my "furry little problem". People thought I had a badly behaved pet or something. And your mother and aunt used to call the time I was away "that time of the month". That really confused those who heard it, but didn't understand it.

"But Alex, Dumbledore didn't fire me, I resigned. Listen to me," he said because Alex had opened her mouth, "After what happened last night, I realize the danger I put on those around me. I could have bitten any one of you, and I almost did. I can't let that happen again."

"It was an accident-" started Alex.

"An accident that I can never make again," cut in Lupin, "Now come on, help me get all packed up."

Sadly, Alex put clothes into cases, books into boxes, and creatures into containers. Once they were all finished, Alex turned to Lupin and sighed.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked sorrowfully.

"When the time comes, we will meet again," said Lupin sagely, "But until then, remember everything I've taught you, both in class and outside of class. Say hello to your father for me."

Alex nodded and shook Professor Lupin's hand. Then, much to his surprise, Alex gave him a hug.

"Good-bye Professor Lupin," whispered Alex. She moved away and saw his eyes were shinning.

"I am so proud of what you have done, Alex, and I know everyone else would have been too: your mother, aunt, and their friends. I wait anxiously until our paths cross again."

Alex watched as he picked up a suitcase and left the room. She stood in there for a few minutes and left, a sad smile on her face.

_Author's Note: I don't know how much I like the beginning of this chapter so all thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated. Also, I plan to put the final chapter up on Saturday if all goes well. The next book will most likely be up next Monday, if all goes according to plan. The last chapter for this story is rather short but wraps everything up nicely. If I put it with this chapter though, it would've been too long. Anyway, please let me know what you think of the chapter! :D_


	20. Chapter 19 I'm Going Home

_Author's Note: For the last time in this story, J.K Rowling owns it all except Alex and a few plot points. Enjoy!_

Chapter 19 I'm Going Home

Alex, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were on the train going back to London. Alex was sketching each of her friends in turn, two owls in her lap. Just before she had left, Alex went to see a very happy Hagrid to get both hers and Malfoy's owl. Alex had just looked up to get a better idea of Ron's nose when she saw a grey blur outside the window. Everyone turned and saw a small owl trying to get in. Harry opened the window and the little bird dropped a letter and began zooming around the compartment. Alex picked it up and read it aloud.

"_Dear Alex, Harry, and whoever else hears this letter,_

_I am writing to let you know that I am fine and in hiding. I can't tell you where in case this owl is intercepted. By the way Ron, this owl is yours, seeing as I'm the reason you lost your rat. I hope this makes up for everything, including the leg (sorry about that!)._"

"This is mine?" Ron said, as the owl landed and curled up in Ron's arms, hooting happily, "Harry, your godfather is pretty awesome for a convicted killer."

"Hey, careful! He's also the father of Alex so be careful what you say. Now I know where Alex gets her temper…" said Harry with a playful smirk. Alex just rolled her eyes and continued reading.

"_In case you haven't guessed already, it was I who gave Harry the Firebolt and Alex the diary and ring. I hope this makes up for all the birthdays and other holidays I have missed._"

"Didn't I tell you boys?" said Hermione triumphantly.

"Yeah, but he wasn't trying to kill me," said Harry, smiling nonetheless.

"Can I finish please?" said Alex, "_Keep in touch with me over the summer and let me know if anyone treats you badly (Harry, you know who I mean). Also, I have included something that will make next year a little better than this one. I made sure someone saw me far away from Hogwarts, so both Alex and Harry should be able to roam around Hogwarts worry and dementor free. I miss you all._

_Your father/god-father/hopefully friend,_

_Padfoot (aka Orion)_"

Alex turned the envelope upside-down and two pieces of paper fell out. They were papers giving Alex and Harry permission to go to Hogsmede next year. Alex turned to Harry and they exchanged grins.

"I better give this owl to Malfoy before we get there," said Alex, who had already changed into her Muggle clothes.

"Be careful," said Hermione.

"Yeah," said Ron, "If he gives you grief, tell him your father's a madman who'll kill his entire family!"

Alex just waved her hand, barely hiding a smile, and set out. She didn't have look very hard because she found Malfoy and his cronies terrorizing Neville. However, once Alex came into view, Malfoy lowered his wand and Neville took this chance to run for it. Malfoy turned to Crabbe and Goyle and jerked his head toward the compartment. The two large boys went in and Malfoy closed the door, running his hand through his hair.

"I brought you your owl," said Alex, frowning, "What were you doing to Neville?"

"Just talking," said Malfoy, taking the owl and stroking his head with a ghost of a smile, "I never said thanks, by the way, for everything you did for me this year. I really appreciate it, I know you don't like me very much."

"That's a huge understatement Malfoy," said Alex coolly, but thrown off. Was Malfoy showing gratitude? "But you're welcome. I guess I'll see you during the summer."

"Yeah, have a good one."

Alex returned to her compartment in a trance. What was going on around here? Why was Malfoy continually being nice to her? It just wasn't normal! Hermione gave Alex a look but Alex shook her head. She knew Hermione would just say that Malfoy was messing with her head and maybe he was, but Alex wasn't quite sure.

"Hey guys, the Quidditch World Cup is being held in England this year and my dad's usually able to get tickets," said Ron, "Would you all be willing to go?"

"Are you kidding me?" Alex cried, "Of course I would! Oh I'm so excited!"

"You know you don't have to ask me," said Harry with a huge grin, "I'm just as obsessed with Quidditch as you are and any excuse to get me away from the Dursley's house is perfect for me."

"How about you, Hermione?" asked Ron, "It'll be fun, unless two really stupid teams make it."

"Cough…Chudley Cannons…cough," Alex said aloud and ducked in time to avoid a Chocolate Frog that Ron had tried to peg at her head.

"I have no plans this summer and at least I'll be with my friends," said Hermione happily, "I may not like Quidditch as much as you all do, but I can appreciate a good game with friends."

"Awesome! I'll have my dad work on getting tickets!" cried Ron, forgetting about his attack on Alex immediately.

The train slowed down and everyone began gathering they're belongings. Once they reached Muggle London, Alex saw her uncle and Erin waving at her. Alex went to them and gave Erin the owl.

"Wow," said Erin with a laugh, "This is an unusual pet, but I love it! What should I name it?"

"Sirius," said Alex, smiling at her uncle, "I think you should name him Sirius. It is a boy after all."

Erin looked thoughtful and Alex introduced her to all her friends. Erin spent some time talking to Fred and George, who were asking her questions about her school.

"So, you actually use the Internet?" Fred asked, "Man, Dad would love to hear about that!"

"You don't use it at school?" Erin asked, not knowing about them all being wizards.

"No," said George quickly, "Our school is very old-fashioned, we use quills and ink bottles to write."

Alex turned and saw Malfoy leaving with his parents. He caught her eye, smiled, and gave a small wave. Alex waved back, but stopped at the look Mr. Malfoy gave her. He quickly pushed his son out of the station, looking angry as he talked in a whisper.

"Who was that, Alex?" Erin asked, seeing who her friend waved to.

"Someone from school I know," said Alex, "I'm not sure what to call him."

Erin nodded and soon, they said good-bye to everyone. Alex explained to Ron how to use a telephone so he could call them over the summer.

"And remember," said Alex slowly, so Ron could hear every word, "Talk…normally. The person may be thousands of miles away, but they can hear you like they could if you were a foot in front of them."

They went out to the car and Uncle Monty put Alex's trunk in the back. When they climbed in, Erin starting talking about how nice, but strange, her friends were.

"One of them didn't even know what electricity was," she said, "They said their dad collected plugs and wondered if I could give them extras."

"So Alex," said Uncle Monty, looking in the rear view mirror at the two girls in the back, "Did you have a good third year?"

"Yes," said Alex as she waved to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "Yes I did. There's never a dull moment at that school."

And from then on, Alex's life would never be the same.

_Dear Readers,_

_I can't believe I'm finished posting the third book in the series! This is absolutely incredible to me. You know what else is also incredible to me? The support I have received for the series. Never had I ever imagined all the reviews, alerts, and favorites you all have given me. So now, here's my chance to thank you all for your dedication to my work._

_Thank you to my most faithful reviewers: _Lone Fairytale, Amy aka Luke, Aileen Autarkeia, Are you calling me crazy, rockerchic143, EmberRee,_ and_ madscientist128._ I always look forward to you guys reviewing! Thank you as well to_ azuresilver, twiheartlover, mysterygirl123, Magimagus, CountDoom, WisdomEyes, cuteknight101, Ariauna, krasni, Ice-Snow Witch, Blazeflower, peygoodwin, RainbowSkittles123, _and _StrawberriesAndCinnamon._ If I have forgotten anyone, I am extremely sorry but know that I want to thank you as well. Of course, thank you to everyone who put me in their favorites, whether it be story or author. And thank you to everyone who put me on alert as well. I can't believe all the support I've gotten from you guys and I really appreciate it. It's nice when I'm having a bad day to come on my computer and see all of your support. So a huge THANK YOU to you all!_

_Now one last thing before I sign off. One of my reviewers mentioned their confusion about Alex being able to talk to people in their Animagus forms sometimes while other times, she couldn't. Here is my explanation for you, in case you were confused as well:_

_Peter knew that Alex could talk to animals since he was Ron's rat and her friends knew about it. Therefore, he made sure he never "spoke" while she was around. Instead, he allowed his mouse-like qualities to show and just made unintelligible squeaking noises that Alex couldn't decipher as words. However, the threat of Sirius coming after him allowed Peter to slip up and start "speaking" so Alex could understand him. As for Sirius, at first he was too weak to talk and when he realized it was his daughter, he knew she could understand animals. That is why he never "spoke" around her._

_Hopefully that helps clarify things. I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all again and I'm going to try and post the next book on Monday._

_With love,_

_silvermoony77_


	21. Wow

Dear Readers,

Well, I feel _really_ smart right now. In case you couldn't tell, I was being very sarcastic. You see, I forgot to let you all know that yes, the next book of the series is up and running. I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner. Between spring break, prom, and my upcoming graduation, life has been kinda crazy around here. So go forth, read, and review! Please let me know what you think of it and enjoy the chapters that are already up. Again, sorry for making you think you had to wait so long!

With love,

silvermoony77


	22. UPDATE NOTICE: EDIT IN PROGRESS!

Dear Readers,

Wow, it's been so long that I'm not sure if you even remember me. :/ My absence is quite unpardonable and I truly am sorry for that. College really took me away from writing for a while. However, there is good news: I am working on re-writing this series! I have gotten so many people asking me when I'm going to update again and as I went back to look at this series, the writing made me cringe. Granted, this series was written back when I was in high school so it's okay that my writing was immature because _I_ was immature. However, it's been almost four years since I wrote this story and it's time for an upgrade. The story will remain relatively the same (character pairings, character personalities, major plot lines, etc.) but I am working on making the storyline more realistic. Alex was (as loathe as I am to admit it) a Mary Sue. I am trying to make her a well-rounded character with evident flaws. Also, the pacing in the first few stories was way too quick so I am beefing things up. That means more chapters for you guys! :) Thank you to everyone who sent me PMs asking when I would update the story. It was because of your badgering that I went back to look at the stories and decided to make this huge edit. The first chapter for the new first book will be up very soon so please go take a look! Enjoy!

Sincerely,

silvermoony77


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